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ii 


SERMONS  ON  REVIVALS. 


SERMONS  ON  REVIVALS. 


REV.  ALBERT  BARNES, 


WITH    AN 


INTRODUCTION 


BY 


REV.  JOEL  PARKER,  D.  D. 

President  of  the  New  York  Union  Theological  Seminary. 


NEW   YORK: 

JOHN     S.     TAYLOR,     AND     CO, 
{Brick  Church  Ckapel,  145  Nassau  St.) 

1841. 


F.ntered   according  to  the   Act  of  Cjnsfrcss,  in  the  year 

1841,  by 

J  o  ri  N  S  .  T  A  Y  r,  O  R  &  c  o  . 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  liic  Dii«lrict  Court  for  tlie  South- 

cm  District  of  New  Yi^'':. 


BY 

3110 
333 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

The  Publishers  of  these  Permons,  believmg" 
them  eminently  calculated  to  do  good — will 
make  a  very  liberal  discount,  from  the  regular 
price,  to  Superintendants  and  Teachers  of  Sab- 
bath Schools,  and  to  the  benevolent,  who  may 
wish  to  purchase  for  gratuitous  distribution. 

It  is  believed  that  the  friends  of  revivals, 
will  perform  an  important  service  to  the  church 
and  to  the  world,  by  giving  to  this  work  an 
<;xtensive  circulation. 


PREFACE 


There  is  not  upon  the  earth  a  more  interest- 
ing phenomenon  than  a  revival  of  religion. 
When  God  visits  a  people  with  his  grace,  the 
whole  commimity  participates  in  the  blessing, 
though  none  but  those  who  wisely  improve 
the  heavenly  influence,  are  ultimately  and 
eternally  benefited.  Yet,  in  an  important  re- 
spect it  resembles  the  sun-light  and  the  rain 
that  are  shed  forth  alike  upon  the  good  and 
the  unthankful.  Many  of  those  who  are  en- 
tirely unthoughtful  in  respect  to  the  source  of 
their  enjoyments,  are  sharing  largely  in  the 
benefits  derived  through  a  revival  of  religion 
from  purified  domestic  affections,  and  the  re- 
straints of  passion,  and  a  quickened  sense  of 
right  pervading  the  public  mind.  Nor  do 
they  merely  derive  benefit,  incidentally  from 
the  good  influence  exerted  upon  others.  Their 


X  I'HEl'ACE. 

own  tone  of  feclinfr,  and  their  moral  habi- 
tudes, are  often  vastly  improved,  and  many 
such,  even  while  unconverted,  seem  to  stand 
forth  like  unconscious  plants  that  show  by  their 
erect  position  and  bright  verdure  that  they 
have  felt  the  invigorating  power  of  light  and 
the  genial  warmth  of  the  sun,  and  the  re- 
freshment of  the  dews.  When  one  of  these 
delightful  seasons  has  for  the  most  part  pas- 
sed away,  many  that  are  unconverted  are  left 
with  kinder  feelings  towards  the  Gospel,  and 
are  ever  after  more  susceptible  to  the  iiifluencc 
of  the  ordinary  means  of  grace. 

It  is  obvious,  however,  that  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion has  seemed,  at  times,  to  exert  upon 
worldly  minds  an  influence  of  an  opposite 
character.  For  this,  two  reasons  may  be  as- 
signed. There  are  some  minds,  which,  in 
consequence  of  former  prejiidice,  or  from  a 
peculiarly  malignant  cast  of  depravity,  have 
caused  the  most  softening  and  subduing  in- 
fluences only  to  aggravate  their  disease  and 
enhance  all  the  difficulties  of  their  conver- 
sion. In  such  cases  it  is  manifest  that  the 
revival  is,  like  any  other  perverted  blessing, 
only  the  innocent  occasion  by  which  those  re- 


PREFACE 


fered  to,  inflict  injury  upon  themselves.  Then 
again,  in  genuine  revivals  of  religion,  where 
the  blessed  Spirit  has  seen  fit  greatly  to  exert 
his  power,  ^^there  has  often  been,  it  must  be 
confessed,  a  want  of  wisdom  in  the  instru- 
ments which  has,  iii  no  small  degree,  marred 
the  work.  Indiscretions  of  language  have  oc- 
curred, and  unhappy  methods  of  acting  on  the 
public  mind  have  been  adopted.  Hence,  though 
a  revival  of  religion,  which  is  nothing  else 
than  an  increase  of  piety  in  a  community,  is 
itself  unmingled  good,  yet,  if  the  phrase  be 
applied  to  the  whole  complex  state  of  the 
public  mind  during  such  a  season,  good  and 
evil  will  be  found  to  be  mingled  in  various 
proportions.  It  has  been  supposed  by  some 
theorists  upon  this  subject  that  if  a  revival  of 
religion  be  a  genuine  product  of  Divine  influ- 
ence it  must  be  free  from  extravagance,  and  se- 
rious error.  But  observation  and  experience, 
and  the  word  of  God  plainly  evince  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  often  operates  through  what  is 
good  in  a  course  of  means  where  many  things 
in  that  course  are  marked  by  the  most  serious 
misjudgment.  Revivals  of  religion,  then, 
hold  a  relation  to  our  investigations  not  dis- 
2* 


similar  to  tliat  u[  a  branch  of  science.  The 
phrase,  science  of  revivals,  would  doubtless 
be  regarded  by  many  as  an  improper  expres- 
sion, and  the  art  of  producing  ti  revival  would 
shock  serious  minds.  And  yet  there  are  prin- 
ciples involved  in  these  interesting  phenoraeua 
that  may  be  discussed  with  as  much  advan- 
tage as  the  principles  of  any  branch  of  men- 
tal and  moral  science ;  and  there  are  specific 
adaptations  of  means  for  the  production  of  any 
given  spiritual  phasis  of  the  public  blind  which 
may  be  as  well  nnderstood  and  as  skilfully  ap- 
plied as  any  other  means  that  can  be  brought 
to»bear  upon  mingled  masses  of  human  be- 
ings. So  far  as  means  are  concerned,  it  may 
be  said  that  they  accomplish  nothing  only  as 
instruments  ;  but,  beyond  a  doubt,  God  works 
by  means  in  such  a  sense  that  the  peculiar 
character  of  the  instrumentality  is  impressed 
upon  the  result. 

You  shall  see  some  ministers  of  the  Gospel 
whose  style  of  effort  resembles  that  of  a  hus- 
bandman that  carries  forward  the  planting  and 
various  culture  and  harvesting  of  a  given  pro- 
duction at  the  same  time.  He  sows  a  few 
seeds,  cherishes  some  plants  whose  progress  he 


PREFACE.  XUl 

IS  watching,  and  gathers  daily  others  as  they 
successively  ripen  for  the  harvest.  Under 
such  an  instrumentality  religion  has  gradually 
gained  influence,  till,  like  a  little  concealed 
^eaven,  it  has  wrought  a  mighty  change  in  the 
whole  community.  One  who  chooses  to  di- 
rect his  endeavors  in  such  a  manner,  may  be 
thought  by  some  to  be  very  cold  in  his  re- 
gards for  a  revival  of  religion,  and  yet  such  a 
method  of  procedure  may  be  prosecuted  with 
great  fidelity,  and  self-denial,  and  spirituality, 
and  success.  It  is  also  attended  with  fewer 
hazards  in  the  hands  of  most  men,  and  will 
commonly  result  sooner  or  later  in  an  in- 
crease of  religion  of  so  rapid  and  powerful  a 
character,  that  all  will  acknowledge  it  as  a  re- 
vival. Such  was  the  course  of  the  devoted 
and  successful  Leigh  Richmond.  His  zeal 
was  a  pure  and  steady  flame.  The  influence 
of  his  labors  was  seen  in  a  constant  present 
success,  and  the  ultimate  result  was  a  power- 
ful and  extensive  work  of  grace. 

There  is  another  mode  of  action,  which 
more  resembles  the  labors  of  a  husbandman 
who  first  prepares  large  fields  by  sowing,  and 
then   brings  them   forward  by  irrigation  and 


)C1V  TREFACK. 

various  culture,  and  afterwards  devotes  a  sea- 
son entirely  to  the  work  of  harvesting.  If  the 
instrumentality  be  put  forth  after  this  impul- 
sivc  manner,  the  Holy  Spirit  will  operate  by 
a  method  corresponding  to  the  means  em- 
ployed. Nor  does  the  fact  that  a  revival  of 
religion  is  conforrAed  to  one  of  these  methods 
or  the  other,  create  any  presumption  for  or 
against  the  genuineness  or  the  degree  of 
purity  of  the  work.  In  either  case,  other 
things  being  equal,  he  that  pours  the  greatest 
amount  of  pure  gospel  instruction  into  the 
minds  of  his  hearers,  and  deals  most  faitlifully 
with  them  in  discriminating  between  true  and 
false  religion,  will  be  the  safest  spiritual  guide. 
The  impulsive  method  is  doubtless  more  pow- 
erful, as  it  employs  more  largely  the  social 
sympathies,  and  uses  the  influence  of  numer- 
ous contemporaneous  examples  in  eliciting 
attention  to  the  subject,  and  in  removing  pre- 
judices. It  tends  also  to  unite  the  church 
more  closely  in  supplication.  United  prayer 
is  a  means  of  such  indispensable  necessity'  and 
power  in  a  revival,  that  every  thing  which 
tends  to  bring  the  greatest  number  of  chris- 
tians to  be  '  of  one  accord  in  one  place,'  tends 


PREFACli.  XV 

most  surely  to  secure  a  large  communication 
of  Divine  influei\ce.  The  work  of  grace  which 
occurred  under  the  ministration  of  President 
Edwards,  at  Northampton,  was  of  this  charac- 
ter; and  it  is  very  easy  to  perceive  that  his 
labors  at  that  time,  and  his  tl'eatise  on  the 
subject,  which  is  so  deservedly  exerting  a 
great  influence,  tend  to  this  peculiar  charac- 
ter of  religious  revivals. 

Mr.  Barnes  has  exhibited  in  his  discourses, 
in  a  very  happy  manner,  the  philosophy  of 
this  subject.  He  has  emplo^/ed  his  rich  re- 
sources and  various  learning  in  illustrating 
his  topics  and  in  overcoming  those  prejudices 
which  spring  up  from  apprehensions  of  disor- 
der and  extravagance  and  fanaticism  in  con- 
nexion with  everything  like  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion. 

It  is  encouraging  to  perceive  such  a  demand 
for  works  of  this  character  that  a  Publisher  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  ordinary  business  finds 
it  for  his  advantage  to  gather  up  these  dis- 
courses, which  were  reposing  in  the  dust  of 
an  old  periodica],  and  send  them  forth  in  the 
form  of  an  inviting  volume. 

The    reflecting  part  of  the    ministry,  in  all 


XVI  PREFACE. 

our  evangelical  denominations,  lias  come  to 
feel  that  revivals  of  religion  open  a  broad  field 
of  observation,  and  demand  the  best  exercise 
of  their  judgment  and  the  closest  application 
of  practical  skill.  If  revivals  of  Pentecostal 
power  should  now  be  granted  we  hope  there 
are  not  a  few  who  would  recognize  in  them 
the  operation  of  familiar  principles,  and  whose 
'joy  of  faith'  would  be  in  no  degree  abated  by 
the  apprehension  that  every  thing  extraordina- 
ry must  result  in  extravagance. 

The  subject  derives  great  interest  also  from 
the  advanced  position  of  this  country  in  res- 
pect to  revivals ;  and,  if  we  except  now  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  there  is  no  country  on  the 
globe  that  has  enjoyed  such  seasons  of  spirit- 
ual refreshing.  This  is  of  the  greater  conse- 
quence because  an  advance  upon  former  modes 
of  action  is  more  likely  to  spring  up  among  a 
young  people  where  the  national  character 
like  that  of  a  youthful  individual  is  still  flexi- 
ble and  generous.  Our  country  is  acting  with 
greater  power  than  any  other  in  modifying  the 
character  of  the  civilized  world. 

The  age  in  which  we  live  is  characterized 
by  two  thin.c[s  that  are  sometimes  regarded  as 


incompatible  Avith  one  another.  It  is  highly- 
impulsive  in  its  movements,  and  yet  men  are 
acting  in  masses  of  continually  augmented 
magnitude.  The  facilities  of  intercommuni- 
cation between  all  those  portions  of  the  Avorld 
where  the  English  tongue  is  spoken,  have  be- 
come so  great,  and  so  numerous ;  commerce 
is  so  rapid  in  its  movements  ;  travel  is  so  in- 
creased both  in  its  amount  and  in  its  speed  ; 
and  the  press  is  so  fluent  that  whenever  a  great 
impulse  is  produced  it  moves  like  a  rapid 
mountain  wave,  and  ceases  not  in  its  progress 
till  it  strikes  on  every  side  of  Christendom, 
against  the  rocky  barriers  of  barbarism. 

Thus  our  temperance  movement  has  sent 
its  mighty  impulse  all  over  the  British  empire 
and  the  continent  of  Europe.  Our  revivals  of 
religion,  we  are  well  assured,  are  not  without 
their  influence  ;  and  we  hail  every  increase 
of  their  power  and  purity,  and  every  discus- 
sion like  that  contained  in  the  following  pages 
as  a  harbinger  of  that  great  work  of  revival, 
when 

'  One  song  employs  all  nations ;  and  all  cry 
Worthy  the  Lamb,  for  lie  was  slain  for  us  : 
The  dwellers  in  the  vales  and  on  the  rocks 


Sliiut  to  •'  'cii  nilif  r,  a»ifl  flu:  moi 
Fr.iiti  (iis'uiit  nioiiiilaiiis  calrh  tiiu  Uj.  .i:  :  ji.'V  ; 
'l'i!l  na1i»ii  alter  iialiuti  taii^riit  the  Ktrain, 
P'artl)  rnl!:j  the  rapturous  Ilosanna  roun  I.' 

JOEL  PARKEK. 

.Acw  York,  May  1,  1841. 


SERMON   I. 

THE    THEORY    OF     REVIVALS. 

'"  Drop  down,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  lei 
the  skies  pour  down  righteousness  :  let  the 
earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  salva- 
tion,  and  let  righteousness  spring  up  to- 
gether y — isa.  xlv :  8. 

This  beautiful  passage  of  scripture  may  be 
regarded  partly  as  the  expression  of  pious 
feeling,  and  partly  as  a  prophetic  description. 
It  is  the  language  of  one  who  greatly  desired 
an  increase  of  piety,  and  who  was  accustom- 
ed to  look  forward  to  times  Avhen  pure  reli- 
gion would  shed  abroad  its  influence  on  earth 
like  descending  showers  from  heaven.  This 
prophet,  more  than  any  other  one,  fixed  his 
3 


20  THEORY    OF    REVIVALS, 

eye  on  the  times  of  the  Redeemer,  and  fie 
delighted  to  describe  scenes  which  would  oc- 
cur when  he  should  appear.  With  deep 
interest  he  threw  himself  amidst  those  future 
scenes,  and  with  a  heart  full  of  faith  he  ut^ 
tered  the  language  of  our  text,  '  Pour  down, 
ye  heavens,  from  above  like  descending  show- 
ers, and  ye  skies  distil  righteousness  like  fer- 
tilizing rains ;  let  the  earth  open  her  bosom, 
and  let  salvation  spring  forth  as  an  abundant 
harvest.' 

From  these  words  1  propose  to  commence 
a  series  of  discourses  on  revivals  of  reli- 
gion. Several  considerations  have  induced 
me  to  enter  on  the  discussion  of  this  subject. 
One  is,  that  they  are  the  most  remarkable 
phenomena  of  our  times,  and  that  they  have 
done  more  than  any  other  single  cause  to  form 
the  public  mind  in  this  countrj'.  Large  por- 
tions of  the  community  have  been  shaken  to 
their  centre  by  these  religious  movements : 
and  society  has  received  some  of  its  most 
decided  directions  from  these  deep  and  far 
pervading  revolutions. 

Another  reason  is,  that  every  christian  has 
the  deepest  interest  in  the  question  about  re' 


THEOUY    OF    UEVIVALS.  Bl 

vh^als  of  religion.  If  they  are  the  Gfenuine 
work  of  God  ;  if  they  accord  with  the  state- 
ments in  the  Bible  ;  if  they  are  such  results 
as  he  has  a  right  to  expect  under  the  preach- 
ing of  the  Gospel,  he  is  bound,  by  all  the  love 
which  he  hears  to  his  Saviour  and  to  the  souls 
of  men,  to  desire  and  pray  for  their  increase 
and  extension. 

Another  reason  is,  that  there  are  many 
various  and  contradictory  opinions  in  regard 
to  these  religious  movements.  It  is  not  won- 
derful that,  in  a  community  where  every  thing 
is  subjected  to  free  discussion,  and  every  man 
IS  at  liberty  to  form  his  own  judgment,  they 
should  haA'^e  given  rise  to  great  variety  of 
opinion.  By  some  they  are  regarded  as  the 
mere  work  of  enthusiasm.  By  some  they  are 
supposed  to  be  originated  by  a  strain  of 
preaching,  and  an  array  of  measures  adapted 
to  operate  on  easily  excited  feelings,  and  fit- 
ted to  influence  only  the  weaker  portions  of 
the  community,  and  to  be  imworthy  the  at- 
tention of  the  more  refined  and  intelligent 
Tanks  of  society.  By  others  they  are  con- 
sidered to  be  in  accordance  with  all  the  laws 
of  mind ;  regarded  as  having  a  foundation  in 


22"  TiriiORY    OF    REVIVALS. 

the  very  nature  of  Christianity  in  its  adapted"- 
ness  to  the  world  ;  na  produced  by  the  agency 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  as  connected  with  the 
best  hopes  of  mankind.  Even  among  profes-^ 
sed  christians  it  canuot  be  denied  that  some 
look  upon  them  with  distrust  and  alarm ;  oth- 
ers regard  them  as  the  glory  of  the  age,  and 
as  identified  with  alt  that  is  cheerinr:  in  the 
prospect  of  the  conversion  of  the  world  to 
God.  Some  see  in  them  the  last  hope  of  this 
republic  against  a  tide  of  ills  that  is  rolling 
in  with  rapid  and  desolating  surges  upon  us ; 
and  some  regard  them  as  amo-ng  the  ills  which 
religion,  unsupported  by  the  state,  has  pro- 
duced in  a  country  w^here  all  is  wild,  asttd  free 
even  to  licentiousness.  Perhaps  there  is 
scarcely  any  excitement  of  the  public  mind 
that  has  produced  a  deeper  attention ;  none- 
that  can  by  a  christian  or  a  patriot  be  regard- 
ed as  of  higher  moment,  or  as  more  likely  to 
affect  the  best  interests  of  man.  The  friend 
of  revivals  regards  it  as  a  fact  of  deep  inte- 
rest, that  scarcely  a  village  iqniles  upon  the 
American  landscape  that  has  not  been  conse- 
crated in  early  history  bj'^  the  presence  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  a  revival  of  reli- 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  23 

gion.  He  discerns  in  the  spire  that  points  to 
heaven,  proof  that  that  is  a  place  perhaps 
more  than  once  honored  by  the  presence  of 
Israel's  God.  He  sees  in  the  reigning  order, 
peace,  and  prosperity,  proofs  that  the  power 
of  God  has  been  felt  there.  He  finds  in  its 
schools,  its  industry,  its  morals,  its  benevo- 
lence, demonstration  that  Christianity  there  has 
struck  its  roots  deep  in  some  mighty  work 
of  God's  Spirit,  and,  as  the  result  is  sending 
out  branches  bending  Avith  rich  and  mellow 
fruits.  He  can  recall  there  some  thrilling  pe- 
riod in  its  history  when  a  spirit  of  prayer  and 
seriousness  gave  its  character  to  the  growing 
village,  and  when,  under  the  influence  of  such 
a  revival,  a  moulding  hand  was  extended  over 
nil  the  social  habits  of  the  place.  If  such  is 
their  influence,  it  is  an  act  of  mere  justice 
that  Christianity  should  not  be  deprived  of  the 
claims  which  it  has  on  the  gratitude  of  the 
nation  ;  it  is  a  duty  which  we  owe  to  ourselves 
and  our  country  to  understand  and  to  ap- 
preciate causes  so  deeply  affecting  our  wel- 
fare. 

There  is  one  other  reason  why  I   propose 
to  bring  this  subject  before  you,   and   indeed 
3* 


24  TfinoRV    OF   REVrVALS- 

thc  main  reason  which  has  opcralcd  on  my 
mmd  in  doing  it.  It  is  whether  it  is  to  be  ex- 
pected that  such  scenes  will  be  witnessed  in 
large  cities  and  towns,  or  whether  there  are 
in  the  very  nature  of  a  city  population  insu- 
perable obstacles  to  the  existence  of  revivals 
of  religion  there,  it  is  certain  that  in  our 
own  land  they  have  occurred  mtieh  njore  fre- 
quently in  the  comparatively  quiet  retreats 
of  the  country  ;  and  that  such  scenes  as  are 
characteristically  known  as  revivals  of  reli- 
gion are  scarcely  known  in  large  cities  like 
the  one  where  wc  dwell.  Knowing  as  we  do 
the  effect  which  cities  must  have,  and  do  have 
on  religion,  the  chastity,  the  temperance,  the 
intelligence,  and  the  liberty  of  a  nation  ;  and 
knoAving  as  we  do  the  ten  thousand  obstacles 
Avhich  exist  there  to  the  promotion  of  true  re- 
ligion, it  is  a  question  of  deep  interest  whe- 
ther christians  are  to  expect  now,  in  such  pla- 
ces, scenes  like  that  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
in  Jerusalem.  It  is  with  main  reference  to 
this  inquiry  that  I  have  commenced  this  course 
of  lectures  ;  and  my  general  plan  will  be,  to 

STATE    THE    NATURE    OF    A  REVIVAL  OF   RELIGION  J 
TO     CO.NSIDER     THE     RELATIO.N     OF     REVIVALS    TO 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  25 

THIS  COUNTRY  ;  TO  SHOW  THE  IMPORTANCE  OF 
PROMOTING  RELIGION  IN  CITIES  ;  TO  SHOW  WHAT 
IS  THE  GENERAL  CHARACTER  OF  CITIES  WITH 
PARTICULAR  REFERENCE  TO  THIS  INQUIRY  ;  TO 
CONSIDER  WHETHER  REVIVALS  MAY  BE  EXPECTED 
TO  OCCUR  IN  CITIES  :  AND  TO  SHOW  THE  DESIRA- 
BLENESS  OF    SUCH    WORKS    OF    GRACE    THERE. 

The  following  things  will  express  what  is 
meant  by  a  revival  of  religion  ;  or  the  follow- 
ing truths  are  essential  elements  in  the  theory 
of  such  a  revival : 

I.  There  may  be  a  radical  and  permanent 
change  in  a  man's  mind  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion. This  change  it  is  customary  to  ex- 
press by  the  word  regeneration,  or  the  new 
birth.  It  supposes  that,  before  this,  man  is 
entirely  alienated  from  God,  and  that  he  first 
begins  to  love  him  when  he  experiences 
this  change.  The  previous  state  is  one  of  sin. 
The  subsequent  is  a  state  of  holiness.  The 
former  is  death ;  the  latter  is  life.  The  for- 
mer is  the  agitation  of  a  troubled  sea,  which 
cannot  rest ;  the  latter  calmness,  peace,  joy. 
This  change  is  the  most  thorough  through 
which  the  human  mind  ever  passes.  It  effects 
a  complete  revolution  in  the  man,  and  his  op- 


26  theohy  of  revivals. 

positc  states  are  characteTized  by  words  that 
express  no  other  states  in  the  human  mind. 
This  change  is  instantaneous.  The  exact  mo- 
ment may  not  be  known  ;  and  the  previous  se- 
riousness and  anxiety  may  be  of  longer  or 
sliorter  continuance  ;  but  there  is  a  moment 
when  the  heart  is  changed,  and  when  the  man 
that  was  characteristically  a  sinner  becomes 
characteristically  a  christian.  This  change 
is  always  attended  with  feeling.  The  man 
is  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  danger  ;  feels 
with  more  or  less  intensity  that  he  is  a 
sinner  ;  resolves  to  abandon  his  sins  and  seek 
for  pardon ;  is  agitated  with  conflicts  of 
greater  or  less  intensity  on  giving  xnp  his  sins  ; 
finds  greater  or  feebler  obstacles  in  his  way  ; 
and  at  last  resolves  to  cast  himself  on  the 
mercj'^  of  God  in  the  Redeemer,  and  to  be- 
come a  christian.  The  result  is,  in  all  cases, 
permanent  peace  and  joy.  It  is  the  peace 
of  the  soul  when  pardon  is  pronounced  on 
the  guilty,  and  Avhen  the  hope  of  immortal 
glory  first  dawns  on  a  benighted  mind.  It 
may  be  beautifully  illustrated  by  the  loveliness 
of  the  landscape  when  the  sun  at  evening 
breaks  out  after  a  tempest ;  or  by  the  calm- 
ness   of   the   ocean   as  it   subsii^'^'^  ^r,^~.  <u^ 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  27 

storm.  In  the  fact  that  such  a  change  may 
occur  all  christians  agree  ;  in  such  a  change 
is  laid  the  whole  theory  of  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion. Let  many  sinners  simultaneously  turn 
to  God.  Let  conversions  to  Christ,  instead 
of  being  few  and  far  between,  become  nu- 
merous, rapidly  occurring,  and  decided  in 
their  character,  and  you  have  all  that  is  usu- 
ally meant  when  we  speak  of  revivals,  so  far 
as  conversions  are  concerned.  Still  these  are 
all  individual  conversions,  accomplished  in 
each  case  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  in  exact  ac- 
cordance with  the  design  of  the  Gospel,  and 
evincing  its  glory.  Each  one  is  converted  in 
the  same  way,  by  the  same  truth,  by  the  same 
great  agent,  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  though  he 
were  alone,  and  not  another  mind  had  been 
awakened  or  converted.  It  is  the  conversion 
of  a  number  of  individuals  from  sin  to  holi- 
ness, and  from  Satan  unto  God.  Look  on  the 
heavens  in  a  clear  night,  and  you  will  have  an 
illustration  of  what  we  mean.  The  stars  that 
are  set  in  that  broad  zone  of  light  which 
stretches  over  the  firmanent — the  milky  way 
— arc  single  stars,  each  subject  to  its  own 
laws,  moving  in  its  sphere,  glorious,  probably, 


28  THROnV    OF    nKVIVAT-S. 

in  its  own  array  of  satellitos  ;  but  their  raj's 
meet  and  mingle — not  less  beautiful  because 
the  light  of  millions  is  blended  together. 
Alone,  they  all  show  God's  power  and  wis- 
dom ;  blended,  they  evince  the  same  power 
and  wisdom  when  he  groups  all  their  beauties 
and  wonders  into  one.  So  in  conversion 
from  sin  to  God.  Take  the  case  of  a  single 
true  conversion  to  God,  and  extend  to  a  com- 
munity— to  many  indivilnals  passing  through 
that  change,  and  you  have  all  the  theory  of  a 
revival  of  religion.  It  is  bringing  together 
many  conversions  ;  arresting  simultaneously 
many  minds  ;  perhaps  condensing  into  a  sin- 
gle place,  and  into  a  few  weeks,  the  ordinary 
work  of  many  distant  places  and  many  years. 
The  essential  fact  is,  that  a  sinner  may  be 
converted  by  the  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
from  his  sins.  The  same  power  which  chan- 
ges him,  may  change  others  also.  Let  sub- 
stantially the  same  views,  and  feelings,  and 
changes  which  exist  in  the  case  of  the  indi- 
vidual, exist  in  the  case  of  others  ;  let  a  deep 
seriousness  pervade  a  community,  and  a  spirit 
of  prayer  be  diffused  there  ;  let  the  ordinary 
haunts  of  pleasure  and  vice  be  forsaken  for 


THEORY    OF     KEVIAALS.  0,9 

the  places  of  devotion,  and  you  have  the 
theory,  so  far  as  I  know,  of  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion. 

2.  The  second  fact  is,  that  there  may  be 
times  in  the  life  of  a  Christian  of  unusual  peace 
and  joy.  To  whatever  it  may  be  owing,  it 
will  be  assumed  as  a  fact — for  the  truth  oC 
which  I  now  depend  on  an  appeal  to  the  Chris- 
tian's own  feelings — that  there  are  times  in  his 
life  of  far  more  than  usual  elevation  in  piety  ; 
tiines,  when  his  '  peace  is  like  a  river,'  and  his 
love  to  God  and  man  'like  the  waves  of  the 
sea.'  There  are  times  when  he  feels  an  irri- 
sistible  longing  for  communion  with  God  j 
when  the  breath  of  praise  is  sweet ;  when  ev- 
ery thing  seems  to  be  full  of  God  ;  when  all 
his  feelings  prompt  him  to  devotion ;  and 
when  he  becomes  so  impressed  with  the 
great  truths  of  Christianity,  and  filled  with  tlie 
hope  of  heaven,  that  he  desires  to  live  only 
for  God  and  for  the  skies.  Earthly  objects 
lose  their  lustre  in  his  view  ;  their  brightest, 
gayest  colors  fade  away  ;  and  an  insatiable 
panting  of  soul  leads  him  away  from  these  to 
hold  communion  with  the  Redeemer.  A  light, 
pure,  tranquil,  constant,   is   shed  on  all  the 


30  TIIEORV    OF    RKVIVALS. 

truths  of  rclijrion,  and  the  desire  of  the  salva- 
tion  of  children,  partners,  parents,  friends,  of 
the  church  and  of  the  world,  enchains  all  the 
affections.  Then  to  pray  is  easy,  and  to  con- 
Verse  with  christians  and  with  sinners  is  easy, 
iand  the  prospect  of  boundless  wealth  and  of 
the  brightest  honors  would  be  gladly  exchang- 
ed for  the  privilege  of  converting  and  saving 
a  single  soul. 

When  this  occurs  in  a  church,  and  these 
feelings  pervade  any  considerable  portion  of 
the  people  of  God,  there  is  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion so  far  as  the  church  is  concerned.  Let 
christians,  as  a  body,  live  manifestly  under 
the  influence  of  their  religion ;  let  a  feeling  of 
devotion  pervade  a  whole  church,  such  as  you 
have  felt  in  the  favored  times  of  your  piety, 
tmd  there  would  be  a  revival  of  religion — a 
work  of  ffrace  that  would  soon  extend  to  other 
Ininds,  and  catch,  like  spreading  fires,  on  the 
altars  of  other  hearts.  Let  a  christian  com- 
munity feel  on  the  great  subject  of  religion 
what  Individual  christians  sometimes  feel,  and 
should  always  feel,  and,  so  far  as  the  church 
is  concerned,  there  would  be  all  the  pheno- 
tnena  that  exist  in  a  revival  of  religion.     A 


THEOfty    OF    REVIVALS.  31 

revival  in  the  church  is  a  revival  in  individual 
hearts — -and  nothing  more.  It  is  when  each 
individual  christian  becomes  more  sensible  of 
his  oblig-ations,  more  prayerful,  more  holy, 
and  more  anxious  for  the  salvation  of  men. 
Let  every  professing  christian  awake  to  what 
he  should  be,  and  come  under  the  full  influ- 
ence of  his  religion,  and  in  such  a  church 
there  would  be  a  revival.  Such  a  sense  of 
obligation,  and  such  joy,  and  peace,  and  love, 
and  zeal  in  the  individual  members  of  a  church 
loould  be  a  revival.  But  in  the  most  earnest 
desires  for  your  own  salvation  there  is  no 
violation  of  any  of  the  proper  laws  of  christian 
action.  In  great,  strenuous,  and  combined 
efforts  for  the  salvation  of  others,  in  unceas- 
ing prayer  for  the  redemption  of  all  the  Avorld, 
there  is  no  departure  from  the  precepts  of 
Christ,  nor  from  the  Spirit  which  he  manifest- 
ed on  earth. 

3.  The  third  feature  that  occurs  in  a  revi-" 
val  of  religion  to  which  it  is  proper  to  direct 
your  attention  is,  that  an  extensive  influence 
goes  over  a  community,  and  effects  with  seri* 
ousness  many  who  are  ultimately  converted 
to  God.  Many  individuals  are  usually  mad^- 
4 


32  THEORY     OF    REVIVALS. 

serious  ;  many  gay  and  worldly  amusements 
are  suspended  ;  many  persons,  not  accustomed 
to  go  to  the  place  of  prayer,  are  led  to  the 
sanctuary  5  many  formerly  indifferent  to  reli- 
gion, or  opposed  to  it,  are  now  willing  to 
converse  on  it ;  many  perhaps  are  led  to  pray 
in  secret  and  to  read  the  Bible,  who  before 
had  wholly  neglected  the  means  of  grace. 
Many  who  never  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God  seem  to  be  just  on  its  borders,  and  hesi- 
tate long  whether  they  shall  give  up  the  world 
and  become  christians,  or  whether  they  shall 
give  up  their  serious  impressions  and  return 
to  their  former  indifference  and  sins.  The 
subsiding  of  a  revival,  or  the  dying  zeal  of 
christians,  or  some  powerful  temptation,  or 
a  strong  returning  tide  of  worldlincss  and 
vanity,  leave  many  such  persons  still  Avith  the 
world,  and  their  serious  impressions  vanish — ■ 
perhaps  to  return  no  more. 

4.  It  remains  only  to  be  added  as  an  essen- 
tial feature  in  a  revival,  that  it  is  produced  by 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  not  the 
work  of  man,  however  human  agency  may  be 
employed.  Imperfections  there  may  be,  and 
things  to  regret  there  may  be,  as  in  all  that  man 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  33 

touches  there  is — but  the  phenomenon  itself  we 
regard  as  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  alike 
beyond  human  power  to  produce  it  and  to 
control  it.  '  The  wind  bloweth  where  it  list- 
eth,  and  thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  and 
canst  not  tell  whence  it  cometh  or  whither 
it  goeth  ;'  and  such  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit, 
alike  in  an  individual  conversion  or  in  a  revi- 
val of  religion.  The  wind,  sometimes  gentle, 
sometimes  terrific,  sometimes  sufficient  only 
to  bend  the  heads  of  the  field  of  wheat,  or  to 
shake  the  leaf  of  the  aspen,  sometimes  sweep- 
ing in  the  fury  of  the  storm  over  hills  and 
vales,  illustrates  the  way  in  which  God's 
Spirit  influences  human  hearts.  You  have 
seen  the  pliant  osier  bend  gently  before  the 
zephyr,  and  the  flowers  and  the  fields  of  grain 
gently  wave  in  a  summer's  eve.  So  gently 
does  the  Spirit  of  God  breathe  upon  a  church 
and  a  people.  So  calm,  so  lovely,  so  pure> 
are  those  influences  which  incline  the  mind 
to  prayer,  to  thought,  to  Christ,  to  heaven. 
You  have  seen  the  clouds  grow  dark  in  the 
western  sky.  They  roll  upward  and  onward, 
infolding  on  themselves,  and  throwing  their 
ample  volumes  over  the  heavens.     The  light- 


v?4  TTIF.ORV    OF    r.F.VIVAT,?. 

nings  play,  and  the  tliunder  rolls,  and  the  tor- 
nado sweeps  over  hills  and  vales,  and  the 
proud  oak  crashes  on  the  mountains.  '  The 
wind  blows  where  it  pleases;'  and  thus,  too, 
the  Spirit  of  God  passes  with  more  than  hu- 
man power  over  a  community,  and  many  a 
stout-hearted  sinner,  like  the  quivering  elm  or 
oak,  trembles  under  the  influences  of  truth. 
They  see  a  dark  cloud  gathering  in  the  sky ; 
they  hear  the  thunder  of  justice  ;  they  see 
the  heavens  flash  along  their  guilty  path ;  and 
they  are  prostrated  before  God,  like  the  forest 
before  the  mighty  tempest.  The  storm  passes 
by,  and  the  sun  rides  serene  again  in  the 
heavens,  and  universal  nature  smiles — beauti- 
ful emblem  of  the  effect  of  a  revival  of  reli- 
gion. 

Such  is  a  brief  description  of  what  actually 
occurs.  1  shall  now  proceed  to  show  that 
these  phenomena  are  such  as  we  have  reason 
to  expect  from  the  manner  in  which  the  hu- 
man mind  is  constituted,  and  society  organ- 
ized. 

I  first  call  your  attention  to  the  manner  in 
Avhich  society  is  constituted,  and  to  the  in- 
quiry wliether  such  a  work  of  grace  is  in  any 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  35 

way  adapted  to  its  original  laws  and  propen- 
sities. The  idea  which  I  wish  to  illustrate  is, 
that  God  has  adapted  society  to  be  moved  sim- 
ultaneously by  common  interests.  He  might 
have  made  the  world  differently.  He  might 
have  peopled  it  with  independent  individuals 
— bound  together  by  no  common  sympathies, 
cheered  by  no  common  joys,  impelled  to  ef- 
fort by  no  common  wants.  All  that  is  tender 
in  parental  and  iilial  atiection  ;  all  that  is  mild, 
bland,  purifying  in  mutual  love  ;  all  that  is  ele- 
vating in  sympathetic  sorrow^  and  joy  ;  all  that 
is  great  and  ennobling  in  the  love  of  the  species, 
might  have  been  unknown  Isolated  indivi- 
duals, though  surrounded  by  thousands,  there 
might  have  been  no  cord  to  bind  us  to  the 
living  world,  and  w-e  might  have  wept  alone, 
rejoiced  alone,  died  alone.  The  sun  might 
have  shed  his  beams  on  us  in  our  solitary 
rambles,  and  not  a  mortal  have  felt  an  interest 
in  our  bliss  or  wo.  Each  melancholy  indi- 
vidual might  have  lived  'unbenefitted  by  the 
existence  of  any  other,  and  with  no  one  to 
shed  a  tear  on  the  bed  of  moss,  when  in  dis- 
ease he  would  lie  down,  and  when  he  would  die. 
But  this  is  not  the  way  in  which  God  has 
4* 


36  TIIF.ORV    OF    nEVIVAL<?. 

chosen  to  fit  up  the  world.  He  has  made  the 
race  one  great  brotlicrhood,  and  each  one  has 
some  interest  in  the  obscurest  man  that  lives, 
in  the  wildest  barbarian  that  seeks  a  shelter 
beneath  a  rock,  or  that  finds  a  home  in  a  cave. 
Pierce  their  veins.  The  same  purple  fluid 
meanders  there.  Analyse  their  feelings.  Un- 
known to  each  other,  they  weep  over  the  same 
distress  ;  strangers  in  other  things,  they  min- 
gle their  efforts  to  save  the  same  fellow-mortal 
from  death.  This  great  common  brotherhood 
God  has  broken  up  into  communities  of  na- 
tions, tribes,  clans,  families — each  with  its 
own  sets  of  sympathies,  with  peculiar  inte- 
rests, with  peculiar  sorrows  and  joys.  One 
design  of  this  is  to  divide  our  sorrows ;  an- 
other to  double  our  joys ;  another  to  pepetu- 
ate  and  to  spread  just  sentiments — to  diffuse 
rapidly  all  that  Avill  meliorate  the  condition  of 
the  race.  Sorrow  hath  not  half  its  pangs 
when  you  can  mingle  your  tears  with  those  of 
a  sister  or  a  wife  ;  and  joy  has  not  diffused 
half  its  blessings  until  yoxir  joy  has  lighted  up 
the  countenance  of  another — be  it  a  son,  a 
father,  or  even  a  stranger. 

Now  there  was  no  way  conceivable  in  which 


THEOrLY    OF    REVIVALS.  37 

just  sentiments  and  feelings  could  be  so  rapidly- 
spread  as  by  this  very  organization.  Suscep- 
tible as  it  is,  like  every  thing  else,  of  being 
perverted  to  evil  purposes,  yet  still  it  is  strong- 
er in  favor  of  virtue  than  of  vice,  of  religion 
than  of  irreligion.  We  appeal,  then,  to  this 
organization,  and  maintain  that  the  way  to 
propagate  and  secure  just  sentiments  in  a 
community  is  to  appeal  to  common  sympa- 
thies and  common  feelings.  If  you  wish  to 
spread  any  opinions  and  principles,  you  will 
not  do  it  by  appealing  to  individuals  as  such, 
you  will  call  to  your  aid  the  pov/er  of  the  so- 
cial organization.  You  will  rouse  men  by 
their  common  attachment  to  country ;  you 
will  remind  them  of  dear-bought  liberty  ;  you 
will  lay  before  them  their  common  dangers  ; 
you  will  awaken  a  common  feeling,  and  endea- 
vor to  lead  them  forth  to  the  martial  field  to- 
gether. When  danger  presses,  you  will  strike 
a  cord  that  shall  vibrate  in  every  heart,  and 
you  will  expect  sympathy,  concert,  united 
action.  I  have  seen  during  the  last  few  years 
a  common  sympathy  extend  through  all  the 
commercial  world.  I  have  seen  the  merchants 
of  our  citties  and  towns  agitated  by  a  common 


38  TULORY    OF    REVIVALS. 

apprehension  of  danger,  and  their  hearts  vi- 
brating with  a  common  emotion,  from  Bangor 
to  New  Orleans.  I  ask  why  there  may  not 
be  as  deep  common  feeling  on  the  cubject  of 
religion  1  1  have  seen,  during  the  past  few 
tnonths,  this  whole  community  agitated  on 
the  eve  of  a  pending  election.  Two  great 
parties,  vigilant,  active,  energetic,  fired  with 
the  hopes  of  victory,  and  each  feeling  that 
the  destiny  of  the  nation  depended  on  the  re- 
sult, were  arrayed  against  each  other.  Com- 
mittees were  appointed  to  make  arrangements ; 
public  meetings  were  held,  and  the  flagging 
faith  and  zeal  of  vast  assemblies  were  roused 
by  appeals  to  patriotism  and  the  love  of  coun- 
try or  of  party  ;  names  were  registered,  and 
the  sentiments  of  every  man  were  ascertained, 
and  the  whole  community  was  roused  in  the 
exciting  struggle.  Every  man  felt  himself  at 
liberty,  or  called  on  in  duty,  to  speak  to  his 
neighbor,  to  soimd  his  sentiments,  and  to  en- 
deavor to  bring  him  to  the  polls.  I  blame  not 
this  zeal, — but  I  refer  to  it  to  ask  why  the 
same  zeal  and  interest  should  be  deemed  im- 
proper on  the  subject  of  religin  ]  Assuredly 
not  because  it  is  less  important,  or  because  it 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  39 

is  less  proper  to  propagate  great  and  noble 
sentiments  by  an  appeal  to  the  common  feel- 
ings of  men.  Let  the  same  zeal  and  ardor  be 
manifest  in  religion  ;  let  the  churches  evince 
the  same  anxiety  for  the  honor  of  their  Lord 
and  Redeemer,  and  for  his  ascendency  in  the 
hearts  of  men,  which  political  organizations 
have  done ;  or  even  let  the  members  of  the 
churches  in  this  land  be  v/armed  with  the 
same  solicitude  for  the  prevalence  of  religion 
which  they  have  shown  for  the  triumph  of 
their  party,  and,  I  was  about  to  say,  it  would 
be  all  that  we  could  pray  for  in  a  revival  of 
religion. 

Certainly,  after  Avhat  our  eyes  have  seen 
during  the  last  year,  no  one  should  ever  blame 
the  ardor  and  zeal  of  the  friends  of  Christ,  or 
object  against  men's  being  simultaneously  ex 
cited  and  moved  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
Not  till  the  zeal  of  christians  approaches  in 
some  measure  this  political  zeal,  and  not  till 
the  anxiety  of  men  to  save  their  souls  be- 
comes something  like  the  anxiety  to  secure 
the  election  of  a  favorite  candidate,  should 
the  note  of  opposition  be  heard  against  revi- 
vals of  religion. — So  I  see,  in  the  history  of 


40  THEORY    OF    RHVIVALS. 

the  past,  tlie  dying  spark  of  freedom  often 
kindled  to  a  flame,  and  liberty  come  out  of 
great  common  public  excitement.  Thought 
rouses  thought,  and  mind  acts  on  mind,  and 
truth  presses  on  truth,  till  a  country  is  roused 
and  its  great  interests  are  safe.  In  time  of 
danger,  I  see  men  with  common  feelings  rush 
to  the  standard  of  freedom.  The  plough  is 
left  in  the  furrow ;  and  the  counting-house  is 
forsaken ;  and  the  ship  is  moored  to  the 
wharf;  and  the  tools  of  the  mechanic  are 
dropped;  and  the  places  of  amusement  are 
closed  ;  and  home  is  abandoned  ;  and  the  hold 
on  gold  is  loosed  ;  and  men  of  affluence  seize 
the  sword  ;  and  the  professions  yield  up  their 
men  of  talents  to  take  the  place  at  the  head 
of  armies ;  and  the  earth  trembles  under  the 
mighty  tread  of  the  advancing  legions — for 
the  great  common  interests  of  a  nation  are  in 
danger.  Then  deeds  of  self-denial  become 
the  theme  of  the  eloquent,  and  the  names  of 
these  men  are  given  in  charge  to  history,  to 
be  transmitted  to  future  times. 

I  speak  not  of  this  to  blame  it.  I  ask  only, 
why  should  not  religion  he  expected  to  bo 
extended  and  perpetuated  by  some  such  ap- 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  41 

peals  to  the  common  feelings  and  sympathies 
of  menl  But  if  so,  there  would  be  a  revival 
of  religion. 

In  further  illustration  of  this,  I  observe, 
that  however  solitary  and  dissocial  infidelity" 
may  be,  this  is  not  the  nature  of  Christianity. 
Infidelity  may  appeal  to  no  sympathies  and  no 
common  hopes,  but  this  is  not  the  nature  of 
the  christian  religion.  Infidelity  may  have 
no  power  to  increase  the  tenderness  of  at- 
tachment, to  purify  friendship,  to  bind  the 
cords  of  love  more  closely  ;  but  it  is  not  so 
with  Christianity.  Infidelity  has  always  loved 
to  snap  the  cords  of  social  life  rudely  asun-' 
der,  but  Christianity  has  loved  to  make  strong* 
er  those  silken  ties,  and  to  deepen  all  the  ten* 
der  sympathies  of  the  heart.  There  is  not 
one  of  the  sympathies  of  our  nature  that 
Christianity  does  not  make  more  tender,  not 
one  of  the  social  affections  that  it  does  not 
design  to  strengthen  and  to  purify.  It  aims 
to  sanctify  all  that  is  social,  kind,  and  tender 
in  men. 

I  know  the  objection  that  is  brought  against 
revivals,  that  they  are  the  work  of  sympathy 
alone.     But  I  am  yet  to  understand  why  re* 


4-2  THEORY    OF    UEVIVALS. 

ligion  is  to  be  spread  through  the  world  by 
denying  it  the  aid  of  the  social  sympathies, 
and  of  those  tender  feelings  which  facilitate 
ihe  propagation  of  other  just  opinions  and 
feelings.  I  am  yet  to  learn,  when  the  flame 
of  patriotism  is  made  to  burn  more  pure  and 
bright  by  appealing  to  all  that  is  tender  and 
sympathetic  in  our  nature,  why  religion  is  to 
be  regarded  as  suspicious  and  tarnished 
because  the  pleadings  of  a  father  or  mother, 
or  the  tears  of  a  sister  have  been  the  occa- 
sion, though  amidst  deep  excitement,  of  di- 
recting the  thoughts  to  eternity.  To  me  it 
seems  there  is  a  peculiar  loveliness  in  the 
spread  of  religion  in  this  way  ;  and  I  love  to 
contemplate  christianitj'-  calling  to  its  aid 
whatever  of  tenderness,  kindness,  and  love 
there  may  be  existing  in  the  bosom  of  fallen 
and  erring  man.  These  sympathies  are  the 
precious  remains  of  the  joys  of  paradise  lost ; 
they  may  be  made  invaluable  aids  in  the  work 
of  securing  paradise  again.  They  serve  to 
distinguish  man,  though  fallen,  from  the  dis- 
social and  unsympathising  apostacy  of  beings 
of  pure  malignancy  in  hell,  and  their  exist- 
ence in  man  7nay  have  been  one  of  the  rea- 


THEORY    or    REAaVALS,  43 

sons  why  he  was  selected  for  redemption^ 
while  fallen  angels  were  passed  by  in  their 
sins.  On  no  subject  have  we  so  many  com' 
mon  interests  at  stake  as  in  religion.  I  look 
upon  a  family  circle.  What  tender  feelings  I 
What  mutual  love  !  What  common  joys  ! 
What  united  sorrows  !  The  blow  that  strikes 
one  member  strikes  all.  The  joy  that  lights 
up  one  countenance,  diffuses  its  smiles  ov^er 
all  Togther  they  kneel  by  the  side  of  the 
one  that  is  sick  ;  together  they  rejoice  at  his 
recovery  5  or  they  bow  their  heads  and  weep 
when  he  dies,  and  put  on  the  same  sad  habili- 
ments of  grief  and  walk  to  his  grave.  Nor 
are  these  all  their  common  joys  and  woes. 
They  are  plunged  into  the  same  guilt  and 
danger.  They  are  together  under  the  fearful 
visitations  of  that  curse  which  has  travelled 
down  from  the  first  apostacy  of  man.  They 
are  going  to  a  common  abode  beneath  the 
ground.  And  that  guilty  and  suffering  circle, 
too,  may  6e,  irradiated  with  the  same  beam  of 
hope,  and  the  same  balm  of  Gilead,  and  the 
same  great  Physician,  may  impart  healing 
there.  Now  we  ask  why  they  may  not  be- 
eome  christians  together  1  Sunk  in  the  same 
5 


44  TiTF.oRv  or  PirvrvAr.?. 

woes,  why  may  they  not  rise  to  thf  same  im* 
mortal  hope  1  When  one  member  is  awa^ 
kencd,  why  should  not  the  same  feeling  run 
through  the  united  group "?  When  one  is 
impressed  with  the  great  thoughts  of  immor- 
tality, why  should  not  the  same  thoughts 
weigh  on  each  spirit  1  And  when  the  eyes  of 
one  kindle  with  the  hope  of  eternal  life,  why 
should  not  every  eye  catch  the  immortal  ra- 
diance, and  every  heart  be  filled  with  the  hope 
of  heaven  1  And  why  may  we  not  appeal  to 
them  by  all  the  hopes  of  sitting  down  toge- 
ther in  a  world  of  bliss,  and  by  all  the  fears 
of  being  separated  to  different  destinies  in  an 
eternal  heaven  or  hell  1  And  yet  let  this  feel- 
ing go  through  this  family,  and  produce  its 
appropriate  results,  and  there  would  be  a  re- 
vival of  religion. 

The  truth  is,  there  are  no  sympathies  so 
deep  on  any  other  subject  as  on  the  subject 
of  religion.  The  sympathies  of  the  human 
heart  are  never  met  and  satisfied,  till  they  are 
met  by  religion.  The  hopes,  the  fears,  the 
joys  of  man  never  find  a  corresponding  object 
till  he  looks  away  from  time  and  is  filled  with 
the  hope  of  heaven.     That    aged    man  once 


THEORY    OF    REVIVALS.  45 

full  of  hope  in  the  cheerful  visions  of  early- 
life,  now  sits  down  and  weeps,  that  in  all  life's 
ambition,  its  honors,  aiad  its  joys,  he  has  ne- 
ver realized  what  he  anticipated.  The  big 
tear  rolls  down  his  cheek,  worn  with  age  and 
care,  when  he  remembers  how  the  world  has 
flattered  and  betrayed  him;  and  there  he  sits 
at  the  close  of  life  on  the  borders  of  abound- 
less  ocean,  Avaiting  to  be  borne  to  some  land 
of  bliss  which  he  has  never  yet  found.  He 
has  had  sympathies,  hopes,  fears,  anticipations, 
w^hich  have  never  been  satisfied  by  this  world, 
which  nothing  now  can  satisfy,  until  the  eye 
is  fixed  on  immortality,  and  he  can  look  to  a 
heaven  of  boundless  glory  as  his  home.  That 
family  so  tender,  so  amiable,  so  lovely,  so 
united  in  sorrows  and  in  joys,  has  sympa- 
thetic emotions  which  can  never  be  met  but  by 
the  united  hope  of  heaven.  Never  will  they 
know  the  richness  of  pure  attachment  to  each 
other  until  they  are  united  in  the  service  of 
God,  and  can  look  forward  to  the  same  hea- 
ven as  their  home.  Never  will  their  sorrows 
produce  what  they  should  produce,  or  their 
joys  be  folIoAved  with  the  blessings  which  they 
should  convey,  until  all  their  sympathies  are 


46  THEORY    01'    KKVIV.\LS. 

sanctified  by  the  Gospel  of  peace,  and  parents 
and  children  alike  hope  to  strike  together  the 
harp  of  praise  in  heaven.  Society  every 
where  is  full  of  anticipations,  sympathies,  and 
hopes,  that  are  never  fully  met  until  a  tide  of 
religious  feeling  flows  over  the  community, 
uniting  many  hearts  simultaneously  in  the 
hope  of  heaven. 

In  conclusion  1  would  observe,  that  if  the 
views  which  have  now  l;<»en  presented  are  cor- 
rect, you  will  accord  with  me  in  the  senti- 
ment, that  such  a  work  should  be  an  object  of 
the  fervent  prayer  of  every  friend  of  the  Sa- 
viour. If,  then  you  have  ever  felt  in  your 
own  hearts  the  power  of  divine  grace  ;  if 
you  have  ever  felt  the  worth  of  the  soul ;  if 
you  have  felt  that  you  are  soon  to  meet  your 
felloAV-mortals  at  the  judgment-seat ;  if  you 
have  any  love  for  your  children  and  friends, 
for  the  church  and  the  world,  for  the  thought- 
less multitudes  amidst  whom  we  dwell,  let  me 
entreat  you  to  cry  unto  God  without  ceasing 

FOE  A  KEVIVAL  OF  PUKE  EELIGIO^•. 


SERMON    n  . 

VINDICATION  OF  REVIVALS,  AND  THEIR  INFLUENCE 
■     ON    THIS    COUNTRY. 


"  Drop  down  ye  heavens,  fi-o?7i  above,  and  lei 
the  skies  pour  down  righteousness :  let  the. 
earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  salvu' 
tion,  and  let  righteousness  spritig  tip  toge^ 
ther.^^ — Isaiah,  xlv  :  S. 

In  resuming  the  subject  discussed  in  my  last 
discourse,  I  propose  to  submit  some  additional 
considerations,  adapted  to  show  the  nature  of 
revivals  of  religion,  and  to  vindicate  them 
from  objections.  My  general  aim  v.dll  be  to 
show  that  they  are  the  regular  and  proper  re- 
sult of  the  means  which  God  is  employing  5 
that  they  are  promised  in  the  Bible  as  invalu' 
5* 


48  VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS 

able  blessings ;  ^ind  that  their  value  has  been 
evinced  by  their  cfTects  in  the  history  of  the 
church,  and  especially  by  the  history  of  our  own 
country.  This  will  be  attempted  in  a  series 
of  propositions,  which  will  be  intended  as  a 
continuance  of  those  which  ^\'x?re  oflered  in 
my  last  discourse. 

I.  My  first  remark  is,  that  the  dealings  of 
God  in  his  providence  are  fitted  to  produce 
revivals  of  religion.  The  phenomenon  which 
I  am  endeavoring  to  describe,  you  will  recoh 
lect,  is  the  simultaneous  conversion  of  many 
souls  to  Christ,  and  a  rapid  advance  in  promo* 
ting  the  purity  and  zeal  of  christians.  The 
question  now  is,  whether  there  is  any  thing 
in  the  dealing  of  Providence  which  is  fitted, 
if  a  proper  impression  Avere  made,  to  produce 
this  result. 

Let  me  for  one  moment  refer  yon  to  facts 
which  are  constantly  passing  before  your 
eyes.  Here  falls,  struck  down  by  the  hand  of 
an  unseen  God,  soma  endeared  member  of  a 
family — a  father,  a  brother,  a  sister,  or  a 
mother.  What  is  the  effect  \  There  is  a 
common  lamentation  around  the  dying  bed 
of  the  friend,  and  a  united,  sad,  and  slow  pro' 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  49 

'tfession  to  the  tomb.  There  is  a  sundering  at 
■once  of  many  ties  ;  a  common  feeling  in  view 
of  a  common  loss  ;  and  together  they  bow 
the  head  and  weep.  The  attention  of  the 
whole  group  is  turned  away  from  scenes  of 
vanity,  gain,  and  ambition  5  a  palsying  blow 
is  laid  on  half  the  comforts  of  life,  and  the 
weeping  group  sit  down  in  sackcloth  and  ash- 
es. The  theatre,  th-e  ball-room,  and  the  splen- 
did party  are  forsaken ;  and  gloom  is  spread 
over  the  counting-room,  and  the  man  leaves 
the  scene  of  his  domestic  grief  reluctantly  to 
go  there.  He  has  no  heart  now  for  amuse- 
ment or  pleasure,  or  even  for  the  usual  much-- 
loved  scenes  of  his  business  and  ambition. 
God  has  for  a  time  sundered  the  tie  which 
bound  the  united  group  to  the  living  world, 
•and  has  made  an  awful  chasnl  in  their  cir- 
cle. 

Does  this  affect  a  solitary  individual "?  No. 
It  affects  a  community.  Is  it  designed  to  be 
the  whole  effect  of  this  affliction  to  produce 
grief  1  Too  well  we  know  the  purposes  of 
that  benevolent  Father  who  has  caused  these 
tears,  to  believe  this.  It  is  to  arrest  the  at- 
tention,   and   direct    it    to  better  things — to 


Sfl  VINUICATIO?;    OF    REVIVALS. 

God,  to  Christ,  to  heaven.  It  is  to  lead  t-y 
reflection  on  sin,  and  death,  and  the  judgment, 
and  eternity.  It  is  to  admonish  all  the  weep- 
ing group  to  prepare  to  die.  The  scene  is 
fitted  to  lead  to  a  serious  life,  to  religion,  to 
God.  But  is  it  fitted,  to  inalce  one  only  a 
christian — is  it  an  appeal  to  solitary,  inde- 
pendent emotions  1  No.  It  extends  lo  the 
total  group.  And  if  a  suitable  impression 
were  made  by  it  on  all,  it  would  lead  them 
together  to  the  Saviour.  Yet  here  would 
be  all  the  elements  of  a  revival  of  reigion  ', 
and  here  is  an  event  fitted  to  lead  a  commu' 
nity  up  to  God. 

So,  when  pestilence  spreads  among  a  peo- 
ple, and  thousands  die  ;  so  when  famine  is 
abroad  on  the  earth,  there  is  an  appeal  made 
to  communities  ;  and  the  thoughts  of  men,  if« 
any  suitable  impression  were  made,  would  be 
directed  to  God  and  to  a  better  world.  So — 
to  change  the  theme — the  earth  renewed  in 
spring-time  ;  the  fresh  proofs  of  the  goodness 
of  God  ;  the  bounties  of  his  hand — new  every 
morning,  repeated  every  evening — all  are  fit- 
ted to  lead  men  to  God,  and  are  an  appeal  to 
them  as  comrminities.     And  there  is  neither  » 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  O'l 

judgment  of  the  Almighty,  nor  a  blessing 
that  comes  from  our  great  Father's  hand,  that 
is  not  fitted  to  impress  communities  with  the 
importance  of  religion,  and  to  lead  alienated, 
social  man,  back  to  God.  Thus,  threatened 
ruin  roused  Ninevah  to  repentance ;  and  thus 
Ood  visits  the  earth  alike  with  judgment  and 
mercy,  to  rouse  the  attention  of  comimunities, 
and  direct  their  thoughts  to  eternity  and  to 
heaven- 

11.  But  whatever  may  be  said  of  providen- 
tial dealings,  one  thing  is  clear — the  truth  of 
God  is  adapted  to  promote  revivals  of  reli- 
gion. That  great  system  of  glorious  doc- 
trines which  constitutes  "  the  everlasting 
Gospel,'  is  adapted  to  produce  every  where 
such  works  of  grace  among  men.  It  began 
•its  career  in  a  glorious  revival  of  religion  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost.  It  showed  its  power 
moving  communities,  and  especially  the  com- 
imunities made  tip  of  cities  and  large  towns, 
in  Jerusalem,  in  Samaria,  inAntioch,  inEphe- 
sus,  in  Corinth,  in  Rome.  The  Gospel  was 
propagated  at  first  by  a  succession  of  most 
signal  works  of  grace,  carried  on  alike  among 
••"he  most  degraded  and  the  most  refined  poi'- 


52  VLNDICATION    OI'    REV  IV/.LS. 

tions  of  mankind  ;  and  it  has  continued,  as  we 
shall  yet  see,  to  extend  its  power  and  influ- 
ence mainly  in  this  manner. 

Even  now,  if  the  truths  of  the  Bible  were 
applied  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  the  hearts  of 
the  people  in  this  house,  the  scenes  of  the 
day  of  Pentecost  would  be  renewed  here.  If 
that  same  truth  were  applied,  as  it  might  be, 
to  the  inaabitants  of  our  great  cities,  the  in- 
teresting, though  deeply  agitating  scenes 
which  occurred  in  Jerusalem  and  in  Ephesus, 
would  be  renewed  in  Philadelphia,  in  New 
York,  iii  Boston,  in  New  Orleans.  Should 
the  great  truths  affecting  your  welfare,  my 
hearers,  now  put  forth  their  power  j  should 
every  one  here  feel  as  he  should  feel  in  view 
of  the  reality  of  his  situation,  a  deep  solem- 
nity would  come  over  this  house,,  and  there, 
would  be  a  simultaneous  rushing  to  the  cross ; 
a  burst  of  feeling  in  every  part  of  this  house, 
like  that  which  agitated  the  bosom  of  the 
jailer  at  Philippi,  Avhen  he  said,  '  What  musi 
I  do  to  be  saved  1'  Kecall  a  fevv'  of  those 
truths.  You  are  sinners — sinners  deeply  de- 
praved, and  under  the  condemning  sentence 
of  a  most  holy  but  violated  luw.     What  if  ev- 


VIXBICAtlOX    OF    HEVIVALS.  ^3 

•ery  iiiaii,  and  woman  and  child  here  should 
feel  this.  What  deep  emotion  would  agitate 
their  bosoms !  What  anxiety  w^ould  be  de- 
picted on  every  countenance !  .  How  would 
the  now  roving  eye  be  fixed  in  solemn 
thought,  and  the  now  gay  and  thoughtless 
heart  prompt  the  deep  inquiry,  What  is  to  be 
my  dooml  Yet  this  is  just  such  a  scene  as 
occurs  in  a  revival  of  religion. 

Again :  You  will  die— all,  all  die.  You 
will  die  soon.  You  have  but  few  more  plans 
to  form  and  execute,  or  more  probably  to 
leave  half-executed  or  but  just  commenced — 
before  you  will  die — inevitably  die.  Were 
this  truth  felt  by  all,  what  emotion  would 
there  be  in  this  rooln !  What  bosom  but 
would  swell  with  the  anxious  inquiry,  what  is 
it  to  die ;  and  Avhat  must  1  do  to  be  prepared 
for  death  1  Yet  here  Avould  be  such  a  scene 
as  occurs  in  a  revival  of  religion.  Another 
truth.  You  will  go  to  another  world.  You 
will  stand  at  the  bar  of  God.  You  will  give 
a  solemn  account  for  all  the  deeds  done  in 
the  body.  You  will  bow  with  willing  or  con- 
strained submission  to  the  eternal  doom  pro- 
nounced on  men  by  Jesus  Christ.     You  will 


6^  vrNDICATION    OF    KKVIVALS. 

go  from  that  tribunal  to  heaven  or  to  hell. 
Perhaps  in  a  week,  a  day,  an  hour,  you  may 
know  fully  Avhat  is  meant  by  those  mysterious 
and  awful  words,  death,  judgment,  eternity — 
what  it  is  to  die,  and  to  stand  before  God. 
And  can  any  one  doubt  that  if  all  here  felt 
the  force  of  these  truths,  there  would  be  a 
simultaneous  impression  on  the  subject  of  re- 
ligion, and  hundreds  of  voices  here  crying 
out,  '  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  V  These 
truths  are  in  their  nature  fitted  not  to  impress 
one,  but  all ;  not  to  lead  one  only  to  prepare 
to  meet  God,  but  to  conduct  all  at  the  same 
time  to  the  throne  of  mercy.  Yet  here  would 
be  a  revival  of  religion. — And  why  should  it 
not  be  so  1  What  law  of  our  nature,  or  of 
Christianity,  is  violated  whcxi  such  scenes  oc- 
cur %  We  have  sinned  together  ;  and  why 
should  we  not  arise  together  and  seek  for- 
giveness 1  We  are  travelling  together  to  the 
grave  and  to  the  judgment-bar ;  why  should  we 
not  resolve  to  go  together  to  heaven  \  The 
Redeemer  has  died  for  us  all,  and  Avhy  should 
we  not  together  seek  for  pardon  through  his 
blood'?  We  shall  lie  in  a  common  grave, 
mingle  with  the  same  dust  of  the  valley,  hear 


Vindication  of  revivals.  55 

ihe  sound  of  the  same  trumpet  of  the  arch'' 
angel  in  the  day  of  judgment ;  and  why  should 
we  not  feel  a  common  interest  in  such  scenes 
now,  And  gather  around  the  same  cross,  and 
lay  hold  together  on  eternal  life  1  If  it  be 
reasonable  for  an  individual  to  do  it,  why  not 
for  many — for  all  1  Why  should  not  the 
common  feeling  go  from  heart  to  heart,  and 
all  resolve  by  the  grace  of  God  to  secure  the 
salvation  of  the  souil  What  law  of  our  na- 
ture would  be  violated  should  this  be  done  1 
Yet  here  would  be  all  the  phenomena  of  a  re- 
vival of  religion. 

III.  In  the  third  place,  there  are  evils  of 
sin  in  all  communities  which  can  be  overcome 
only  by  such  influences  as  attend  a  revival  of 
religion.  I  refer  to  evils  of  alliance  ;  of  com- 
,pact ;  of  confederation  ;  the  sins  of  associa- 
tion and  of  common  pursuit,  where  one  man 
keeps  another  in  countenance,  or  one  man 
leads  on  the  many  to  transgression.  Sin  is 
never,  perhaps,  solitary.  One  sin  is  inter- 
locked with  others,  and  is  sustained  by  others. 
This  is  especially  the  case  when  the  world 
becomes  gay  and  giddy  ;  Avhen  the  ordinary 
■means  of  grace  fail  to  make  an  impression , 


56  VINDICy\TI<>.N     ()]■      liKVIV  .\l.^^ 

when  luxury  spreads  its  temptations  over  a 
community ;  when  the  public  mind  becomes 
intent  on  gain ;  when  political  strife  rages 
throughout  a  community  ;  or  when  some  bold 
and  daring  allurement  of  vice  engrosses  the 
public  mind,  and  the  laws  of  God  and  man 
are  alike  set  at  defiance.  Such  scenes  occur 
peculiarly  in  cities  and  large  towns.  Rarely 
is  it  here  that  one  form  of  iniquity  stands  by 
itself:  it  is  interlocked  with  others.  Such 
combinations  of  evil  can  be  met  only  by  the 
power  that  goes  forth  in  a  revival  of  religion. 
To  meet  it  and  overcome  it  is  beyond  the 
power  of  man,  and  beyond  the  ordinary  influ- 
ences even  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  only 
resource  of  the  church,  then,  is  in  the  right 
arm  of  the  Most  High,  and  in  the  power 
which  God  displays  when  hundreds  are  made 
to  bow  simultaneously  to  the  Son  of  God. 

Thus  it  has  usually  been  in  the  world. 
When  some  chieftain  of  wickedness  has  col- 
lected a  clan  of  evil-doers ;  when  infidelity 
has  marshaled  its  forces ;  when  vice  and 
crime  triumph  in  a  community,  then  the 
church  has  lifted  its  voice  of  prayer,  and  God 
has  heard  its    supplications,    and  has  poured 


TINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  57 

down  righteousness  like  the  rain,  and  the  des- 
olate world  has  been  made  to  smile  under  the 
influence  of  truth  and  salvation.  The  Gospel 
of  Christ  is  fitted  to  meet  all  those  combined 
evils  ;  and  is  invested  with  a  power  that  can 
disarm  every  chieftain  of  wickedness,  and 
break  up  every  combination  of  evil,  and  con- 
vert the  gay  and  thoughtless  multitudes  to 
God.  But  it  is  the  Gospel  only  when  it  puts 
forth  its  most  mighty  energies.  It  is  the 
power  of  God  evmced  when  the  church  is 
yoused,  and  when  combined  efforts  to  save 
souls  are  opposed  to  combined  energies  of 
evil ;  when  the  church  rises  in  its  strength, 
and  with  one  voice  calls  upon  God,  and  with 
one  heart  engages  in  the  work  of  the  salva- 
tion of  men.  And  it  is  a  truth  which  cannot 
be  too  deeply  impressed  on  the  heart  of  each 
christian —  a  truth,  alas  I  too  often  forgotten 
— that  the  only  power  in  the  wide  universe 
which  can  meet  and  overcome  such  combined 
evil,  is  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  There 
are  evils  of  alliance  and  confederation  in 
every  city,  which  can  never  be  met  but  by  a 
general  revival  of  religion.  There  are  evils 
in  all  our  churches  which  can  never  be  remov- 


58  VINDICATION    OF   REVIVALS. 

ed  but  by  such  a  work  of  grace.  There  arc 
thousands  of  the  young  of  both  sexes  to 
whom  we  have  no  access,  and  who  can  never 
be  reached  but  by  the  Spirit  of  God  descend- 
ing on  them  with  almighty  power — a  power 
that  goes  forth  only  when  the  church  is  great- 
ly impressed  with  a  sense  of  existing  evils, 
and  when  it  comes  with  fervent  entreaty  to  a 
throne  of  grace  to  ask  the  interposition  of 
the  Almighty  arm.  In  ordinary  times,  the 
world,  especially  in  cities,  presents  such 
scenes  as  these.  None  pursues  a  solitary, 
scarcely  any  one  an  independent  course  of 
evil.  One  form  of  sia  is  interwoven  with 
another ;  one  countenances  another ;  one 
leads  on  another  ;  and  all  stand  opposed  with 
solid  front  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  The 
world  is  arrayed  in  hostility  against  God  :  and 
not  even  on  the  flanks  of  the  inamense  army 
can  an  impression  be  made ;  scarce  a  strag- 
gler can  be  found  who  can  be  brought  under 
the  influence  of  the  Gospel.  Meantime  the 
church  slumbers ;  the  mass  of  professing 
christians  feel  no  concern ;  and  if  here  and 
there  an  active  christian  is  seen,  his  efforts 
are  solitary  and  unaided ;  he  is  without  couu- 


VINDICATION   OF    REVIVALS.  59 

sel  or  concert  with  others ;  and  he  makes  no 
impression  on  the  combined  evil  around  him. 
In  such  scenes  we  are  not  to  wonder  that  sin 
triumphs,  and  that  the  world  moves  on  undis- 
turbed to  death. 

Thus  far  the  argument  has  been  to  show 
that  revivals  of  religion  are  not  inconsistent 
with  the  laws  of  the  social  organization  and 
of  the  human  mind.  I  shall  now  change  the 
course  of  the  argument,  and  adduce  illustra- 
tions from  other  sources. 

IV.  I  make  my  appeal,  in  the  fourth  place, 
to  that  argument  with  which,  perhaps,  I  should 
have  commenced — the  testimony  of  the  Bible. 
The  question  i&,  whether  the  Scriptures  speak 
of  such  scenes  as  are  known  in  modern  revi- 
vals of  religion  as  to  he  expected  under  the 
influence  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  I  cannot 
go  at  length  into  this  part  of  the  argument ; 
but  I  will  group  together,  first,  a  collection  of 
passages  of  Scripture  chiefly  from  one  proph- 
et, to  show  how  he  felt  on  the  subject,  and 
what  were  the  views  which  he  entertained  of 
the  effects  of  the  true  religion  when  the  Mes- 
siah should  have  come.  I  refer  to  Isaiah. 
^  Drop  down,  ye  heavens,  from  above,  and  let 
6* 


€0  VINDICATION    OF    REVrVALS. 

the  skies  pour  doAvn  rig-hteousncss ;  let  the 
earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  salvation^ 
and  let  righteousness  spring  up  together.'  So 
the  effeci  of  such  a  work  of  grace  is  described 
in  a  song  of  praise  in  the  mouth  of  the  church.- 
'  I  will  greatly  rejoice  in  the  Lord^  my  soul 
shall  be  joyful  in  my  God  ;  for  he  hath  cloth- 
ed me  with  the  garments  of  salvation,  he  hath 
covered  rae  with  a  robe  of  righteousness,  as 
a  bridegroom  decketh  himself  with  ornaments, 
and  as  a  bride  adorneth  herself  with  her  jew- 
els. For  as  the  earth  bringeth  forth  her  bud, 
and  as  the  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are 
sown  in  it  to  spring  forth  ;  so  the  Lord  God 
will  cause  righteousness  and  praise  to  spring 
forth  before  all  the  nations.'  Ch.  61  :  10,11, 
Who  hath  not  seen  the  beautiful  efiect  on  the 
dry  and  parched  earth  of  refreshing  summer 
showers  1  Such  effects,  the  prophet  said, 
w^ould  be  witnessed  under  the  Gospel  ;  such 
effects  have  been  witnessed  in  hundreds  of 
the  towns  and  villages  of  our  own  land.  Lis- 
ten to  another  description  of  such  a  work  of 
grace — a  description  Avhich  seems  to  be  a 
beautiful  prophetic  record  of  what  has  occur- 
red often  even  in  our  own  times.     It  is  the 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  61 

language  of  God  himself.  '  I  will  pour  water 
upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the 
dry  ground :  I  will  pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy 
seed,  and  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring : 
and  they  shall  spring  up  as  among  the  grass, 
as  willows  by  the  Avater  courses.  One  shall 
say,  I  am  the  Lord's  5  and  another  shall  call 
himself  by  the  name  of  Jacob ;  and  another 
shall  subscribe  with  his  hand  unto  the  Lord, 
and  surname  himself  by  the  name  of  Israel.' 
Ch.  44  :  3-5.  '  For  as  the  rain  cometh  down, 
and  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  returneth  not 
thither,  but  watereth  the  earth,  and  maketh  it 
bring  forth  and  bud,  that  it  may  give  seed  to 
the  sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater:  so  shall  my 
word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth.' 
Ch.  55:  10,  11.  Such  descriptions  were  the 
prophetic  visions  of  future  times  ;  descriptions 
of  what  has  since  occurred,  as  unerring 
as  were  those  which  foretold  the  doom  of 
Babylon,  of  Tyre,  of  Idumea,  from  the  lips  of 
the  same  prophet.  And  as  the  words  of  that 
singularly  endowed  and  favored  prophet  are 
now  the  best  possible  to  describe  the  condition 
of  Babylon  and  Idumea,  so  they  are  still  the 


62  VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS. 

best  which  can  be  selected  to  describe  a  revi- 
val of  religion. 

But  it  was  not  in  general  language,  or  by 
one  prophet  only  that  such  scenes  Avere  fore- 
told. There  was  one  prophet,  in  general 
much  less  favored  with  a  view  of  future  times 
than  Isaiah,  that  was  signally  favored  in  re- 
gard to  the  scenes  evinced  in  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion. I  allude  to  the  prophet  Joel.  In  the 
following  glowing  language  he  describes  what 
we  know  on  the  best  authority  was  designed 
to  be  a  description  of  the  v»-ork  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  simultaneously  affecting  tlie  hearts  of 
many  sinners.  'And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
afterward,  that  I  will  pour  out  of  my  Spirit  up- 
on all  flesh  J  and  your  sons  and  your  daugh- 
ters shall  prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream 
dreams,  your  young  men  shall  see  visions : 
and  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the  hand- 
maids in  those  days  w'ill  I  pour  out  my  Spirit. 
And  I  will  show  wonders  in  the  heavens  and 
in  the  earth,  blood,  and  fire,  and  pillars  of 
smoke.  The  sun  shall  be  turned  into  dark- 
ness, and  the  moon  into  blood,  before  the 
great  and  the  terrible  day  of  the  Lord  come. 
And  it  shall    come   to  pass,    that   whosoever 


VINDICATION    OF  REVIVALS.  63 

shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be 
delivered :  for  in  mount  Zion  and  in  Jerusa- 
lem shall  be  deliverance,  as  the  Lord  hath 
said,  and  in  the  remnant  whom  the  Lord  shall 
call.'  Joel,  2:  28-32.  This  description  is 
expressly  applied  by  an  apostle  to  the  first 
great  revival  of  religion  that  occurred  after 
the  ascension  of  the  Saviour  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  Acts,  2.  On  that  memorable  day, 
and  in  that  memorable  place,  was  the  proto- 
type and  the  exemplar  of  all  true  revivals  of 
religion.  I  am  aware  that  some  have  suppos- 
ed that  that  whole  scene  was  miraculous,  and 
that  it  cannot  be  expected  again  to  occur, 
since  the  days  of  miracles  have  ceased.  But 
I  am  ignorant  of  the  arguments  which  dem- 
onstrate that  there  was  aught  of  miracle  in 
this,  except  in  the  power  of  speaking  in  for- 
eign languages,  conferred  on  the  apostles — a 
power  which  of  itself  converted  no  one  of 
the  three  thousand  who  on  that  day  gave  their 
hearts  to  the  Saviour.  The  power  of  speak- 
ing foreign  languages  had  but  two  effects,  one 
was,  to  furnish  evidence  that  the  religion  Avas 
from  G  od  ;  the  other  to  enable  them  to  make 
known  its  truths  in  the  ears  of  the  multitude 


64  VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS. 

assembled  from  different  parts  of  the  world. 
It  was  by  the  proper  influence  of  truth  that 
the  multitudes  were  alarmed  and  awakened  ; 
and  why  should  not  the  same  truth  produce 
the  same  effect  now  1  It  was  indeed  by  the 
power  of  God.  But  that  same  power  is  exer- 
ted in  the  conversion  of  every  sinner;  and 
why  may  it  not  now  be  employed  in  convert- 
ing many  simultaneously  %  It  was  indeed  by 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  but  no  sinner  is  awakened 
or  converted  now  wdtliout  his  power ;  and 
why  may  not  that  be  exerted  still  on  many  as 
well  as  on  one  1  The  great  fact  in  the  case 
was,  that  several  thousands  were  converted 
under  the  preaching  of  the  truth  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Miracles  changed 
no  one.  The  laws  of  mind  were  violated  in 
the  case  of  no  one.  No  effect  was  produced 
which  the  truth  was  not  adapted  to  produce. 
And  why  should  not  the  same  effect  be  again 
produced  by  the  preaching  of  the  same  truth, 
and  by  the  power  of  the  same  sacred  Spirit  1 
Remember,  also,  that  on  scenes  like  this 
the  heart  of  the  Saviour  was  intently  fixed. 
To  prepare  the  way  for  this ;  to  furnish  truth 
that  might  be  presented  in  times  like  this,  he 


VINDICATION    01'    REVIVALS.  65 

preached  and  toiled ;  to  make  it  possible  that 
scenes  like  this  should  be  witnessed  among 
men,  he  died  ;  to  secure  the  presence  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  this  manner,  he  ascended  to 
heaven.  '  It  is  expedient  for  you,'  said  he, 
'  that  I  go  away :  for  if  I  go  not  away,  the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you  5  but  if  I 
depart,  I  will  send  him  unto  you.  And  when 
he  is  come,  he  will  reprove,  i.  e.  convince,  the 
world  of  sin,  and  of  righteousness,  and  of 
judgment.'  John,  16  :  7,  8.  The  Saviour  did 
depart.  He  ascended  to  his  native  skies. 
His  disciples  Avaited  for  the  promised  bless- 
ing, at  once  the  source  of  comfort  to  their 
disconsolate  hearts,  and  the  pledge  that  their 
Lord  and  Master  had  reached  the  courts  of 
heaven.  Fifty  days  after  his  resurrection- 
ten  days  only  after  his  ascension,  lo !  the 
promised  Spirit  descended,  and  the  conver- 
sion of  three  thousand  in  a  single  day,  on  the 
very  spot  where  the  hands  of  men  had  been 
just  imbrued  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God, 
and  a  part  of  whom  had  been  concerned, 
doubtless,  in  enacting  that  horrid  tragedy, 
showed  that  the  human  heart  was  under  his 
control,  and  that  the  most  wicked  men,  in  one 


66  VINDICATION   OF   REVIVALS. 

of  the  m03t  guilty  cities  on  the  earth,  might 
be  simultaneously  swayed  and  changed  in  a 
revival  of  religion. 

Were  there  time,  wc  might  follow  the  apos- 
tles as  they  went  forth  from  that  place  fresh 
from  the  presence  of  God,  after  having  thus 
had  a  living  demonstration  of  what  the  truth 
was  fitted  to  effect  on  masses  of  mind.  Let 
any  one  look  at  the  record  made  respecting 
Samaria,  Antioch,  Ephcsus,  Corinth,  Philippi, 
and  he  will  see  that  the  Gospel  was  propaga- 
ted there  amidst  scenes  that  resemble,  in  all 
their  essential  features,  modern  revivals  of 
religion.  Indeed,  there  was  no  other  way  in 
which  it  could  be  done.  The  apostles  never 
contemplated  the  conversion  of  solitary,  iso- 
lated individuals.  They  expected  to  move 
masses  of  mind,  interlocked  and  confederated 
communities  of  sin;  and  it  was  done. 

V.  I  have  reserved  for  a  fifth  argument  or 
illustration,  the  state  of  things  in  our  own 
countryj  to  show  by  an  appeal  to  facts  here, 
the  desirableness  and  the  genuineness  of  such 
n  work  as  I  am  endeavoring  to  describe.  The 
question  is,  has  the  history  of  religion  in  our 
own  land  shed  any  light  on  the  inquiry  wheth- 


VmOlCATION   OV   REVIVALS*  GTf 

er  such  effects  are  to  be  expected  to  attend 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  or  whether  it  is 
desirable  that  christians  should  labor  and  pray 
that  revivals  may  be  witnessed  in  the  cities, 
towns,  villages,  and  hamlets  of  our  republic  1 
To  us,  and  to  the  Avorld  at  large,  this  is  a 
deeply  interesting  question ;  for  the  fame  of 
American  revivals  has  crossed  the  ocean  and 
reached  the  ears  of  our  christian  brethren  be- 
yond the  waters,  and  their  plans  and  labors 
are  receiving  direction  from  what  their  own 
travellers  and  our  books  report  to  them  as  the 
mode  of  maintaining  religion  here.  And  it  is 
not  too  much  to  say,  that  on  the  purity  of  re- 
vivals here  will  depend  the  efforts  of  no  small 
part  of  the  protestant  world,  and  that  their 
influence  will  be  felt  at  every  missionary  sta- 
tion on  the  globe.  No  one,  therefore,  can 
over-estimate  the  importance  of  just  senti-' 
ments  on  this  subject  here. 

For  another  reason  it  is  important  to  know 
what  is  taught  about  the  value  of  revivals  in 
the  history  of  our  own  country.  In  every 
thing  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  man,  other 
nations  are  looking  with  deep  interest  to  our 
institutions.  Statesmen  are  taking  lessons 
7 


68  VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS. 

from  our  liistory;  the  friends  of  freedom  are 
exchanginof  congratulations  on  our  prosperity  ; 
and  the  world  stands  in  admiration  of  the  vi- 
gor of  our  movements.  Religion,  too,  has 
assumed  new  relations  to  the  state.  It  is  dis- 
severed from  civil  institutions,  and  suffered  to 
move  by  itself.  On  this  our  greatest,  and  in 
the  eyes  of  other  nations,  our  most  hazardous 
experiment,  that  of  committing  religion  to 
the  blessing  and  patronage  of  its  God  and  Sa- 
viour, the  eye  of  the  world  is  intently  fixed. 
Hence  foreigners  speak  with  great  interest  of 
all  things  connected  with  religion  here  ;  and 
they  speak  of  revivals  as  almost  peculiar  to 
our  republic,  k'ome  have  thought  and  spoken 
candidly  of  these  scenes  ;  but  the  great  mass 
have  ridiculed  and  caricatured  them — "  under- 
standing neither  what  they  say,  nor  whereof 
they  affirm."  Most  foreign  travellers  have 
been  as  little  qualified  to  speak  of  our  reli- 
gion as  they  have  of  our  civil  institutions. 
Most  of  them  have  never  witnessed  a  revival 
of  religion.  Almost  all  have  received  their 
impressions  from  the  enemies  of  revivals,  and 
have  characterized  them  as  gross  fanaticism 
and  wildfire.     They  have  gone  and  reported 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  69 

to  the  world  abuses  and  disorders  as  the  ordi- 
nary characteristics  of  such  scenes  ;  and  the 
M^orld  has  received  its  impressions  from  such 
reports.  Unhappily  it  is  one  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  our  people  to  look  to  foreigners 
for  an  account  of  our  own  institutions ;  and 
many  an  American  deems  the  record  of  such 
impartial  foreigners  of  much  more  value  than 
the  testimony  of  his  own  eyes  about  what  is 
occcurring  at  his  very  door.  Books  distin- 
guished for  gross  abuse  of  our  religion  and 
our  country  at  large  ;  books  made  to  produce 
an  impression  across  the  ocean,  and  designedly 
filled  with  calumny,  are  here  caught  up,  re- 
published, placed  in  Athenaeums,  and  on  cen- 
tre-tables, and  become  the  authority  for  what 
exists  in  our  own  land  and  under  our  own  eye. 
And  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  a  large  part 
of  the  fashionable  reading  world — and  in  that 
appellation  I  include  the  fashionable  reading 
christians  of  our  cities  and  large  towns — had 
formed  their  opinions  of  revivals  in  their  own 
country  from  the  testimony  of  such  impartial 
and  candid  witnesses  as  the  TroUopes,  and 
the  Fidlers,  and  the  Martineaus  of  the  old 
world ;  persons  having  as  few  qualifications 


70  VINDICATION    OF    HF.VTVAT.P. 

for  being  correct  reporters  of  revivals  of  reli- 
gion as  could  be  found  in  the  wide  world. 
Perhaps  many  christians  have  yet  to  learn 
that  such  a  historian  of  revivals  as  President 
Edwards  ever  lived.  It  is  of  great  impor- 
tance, therefore  to  know  exactly  what  place 
revivals  have  occupied  in  this  land,  and  what 
has  been  their  general  character. 

The  history  of  religion  in  this  country  may 
be  divided  into  four  great  periods,  during 
which  the  influence  of  revivals  would  be  seen 
to  have  exerted  a  moulding  power  on  our  in- 
stitutions and  our  habits  as  a  people. 

I.  The  first  period,  of  course,  is  that  when 
our  fathers  came  to  these  western  shores.  I 
speak  here  more  particularly  of  those  whose 
opinions  have  had  so  important  an  influence 
in  forming  the  habits  of  the  people  of  this 
land  on  religious  subjects — the  pilgrims  of 
New  England.  The  pilgrim  was  a  wonderful 
man  ;  and  remarkable,  among  other  things,  for 
the  place  which  religion,  as  well  as  science, 
occupied  in  his  afiections.  In  his  eye  religion 
was  the  primary  consideration.  One  of  the 
first  edifices  that  rose  in  the  wilderness  where 
he  stationed  himself  was  the  house  of  God  ; 


VIXBICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  71 

near  to  it  the  school-house,  the  academy  and 
the  college.  Around  the  house  of  God,  as  a 
nucleus,  the  village  was  gathered ;  and  from 
that,  as  a  radiating  point  extended  itself  into  the 
surrounding  wastes.  From  that  point  the 
forests  disappeared :  around  that  point  the 
light  of  the  sun  was  let  down  to  the  earth  that 
had  not  for  centuries  felt  his  heams,  so  dense 
had  been  the  shades  of  the  interminable  wil- 
derness. Religion  was  the  primary  thing — • 
primary  in  each  house,  each  school,  each  set- 
tlement, each  city,  each  civil  institution.  The 
pilgrim  had  no  higher  aim  than  to  promote  it  ; 
he  had  no  plan  which  did  not  contemplate  its 
perpetuity  and  extension  as  far  as  his  descen- 
dants might  go.  Such  was  the  feeling  when, 
more  than  two  hundred  years  since,  the  greiat 
forest  trembled  first  under  the  axe  of  the 
foreiofner,  and  new  laws  and  new  institutions  > 
began  in  the  Avestern  Avorld. 

That  this  should  continue  to  be  always  the 
leading  feature  among  a  people  situated  as 
they  were,  was  not  perhaps  to  be  expected. 
He  knows  little  of  the  propensities  of  our  na- 
ture who  would  be  surprised  to  learn  that  re- 
ligion began  before  long  to  occupy  a  secon- 


72  VINDICATION    OF    TIEVIVALS. 

dary  place  in  the  public  miiul.  Doomed  to 
the  hard  toil  of  felling  the  forests,  and  reduc- 
ing a  most  perverse  and  intractable  soil  to  a 
fit  state  for  cultivation ;  feeling  soon  the  in- 
fluence of  that  then  infant  passion  which  has 
since  in  this  country  expanded  to  such  giant 
proportions — the  love  of  gain ;  engaged  in 
conflicts  with  savages,  and  subject  to  the  ra- 
vages of  war — of  that  species  of  war  which 
showed  mercy  neither  to  age  nor  sex — it  was 
not  wonderful  that  their  early  zeal  should  die 
away,  and  that  iniquity  should  come  in  like  a 
flood.  Such  was  the  fact.  Within  less  than 
a  hundred  years  a  most  sad  change  had  oc- 
curred in  this  country  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion. Extensively  in  the  churches  of  New 
England,  and  in  all  the  churches,  there  was  a 
most  mclancholly  decline.  From  this  state  of 
apathy  nothing  could  rouse  them  but  a  series 
of  mighty  movements  like  that  on  the  day  of 
pentecost ;  and  it  was  then — now  just  a  hun- 
dred years  ago — that  those  wonderful  dis- 
plays of  divine  power  in  revivals  of  religion, 
which  have  so  eminently  characterized  our 
own  country,  and  which  were  the  pledge  that 
God  meant  to  perpetuate  the  religious  institu- 
tions of  our  land,  commenced. 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  73 

II.  This  was  the  second  period  in  our  reli- 
gions history.     It  began  under  the  ministry  of 
AVhitefield,  Edwards,  the  Tennants,  and  their 
fellow-laborers,  and  continued  from  about  the 
year  1730  to    1750.     Of  this  great  religious 
excitement,   which  extended  from  Maine  to 
Georgia,  and  which  created  the  deepest  inter- 
est in  Britain  and  America,  I  need  now  to  say 
little.  The  history  has  been  written  by  that  great 
man  who  was  a  principal  actor  in  those  scenes 
— 1  mean  President  Edwards.     I  will  just  add, 
that  the  character  and  talents  of  the  men  en- 
gaged  in   those    religious    movements  Avere 
such  as  to  place  them  above  the  suspicion  of 
their  being  the  work  of  feeble  minds,  or  the 
productions    of   fanaticism.      The   Tennants 
were  among  the  most  able  ministers  of  the 
land.     Davies,    afterwards    the    successor  of 
Edwards  in   Princeton   College,  was   one  of 
the  most  eloquent  and  holy  men  that  this  coun- 
try has   produced.     Edwards,    as   a   man  of 
profound  thought,  as  an  acute  and  close  rea- 
soner,    has   taken    his  place   by  the    side  of 
Locke,  and  Reid,  and  Dugald  Stewart,  if  he 
has  not    surpassed   them    all :  and  his   name 
is   destined   to   be    as    immortal    as    theirs. 


74  VINDICATION    OF   REVIVALS. 

Probably  no  man  in  any  country  or  age  has 
possessed  the  reasoning  faculty  in  such  per- 
fection as  Jonathan  Edwards ;  a  man  raised 
up,  among  other  purposes,  to  rebuke  the 
sneer  of  the  foreigner,  when  he  charges  Ameri- 
ca with  the  want  of  talent,  and  to  show  that 
the  most  profound  intellect  is  well  employed 
Avhen  it  is  engaged  in  promoting  revivals  of 
religion.  From  those  profound  disquisitions, 
those  abstruse  and  subtle  inquiries  which  have 
given  immortality  to  his  name,  he  turned  with 
ease  and  pleasure  to  the  interesting  scenes 
when  God's  Spirit  descended  on  the  hearts  of 
men.  The  name  of  Whitefield  is  one  that  is 
to  go  down,  as  an  orator,  as  far  as  the  name 
of  Demosthenes  or  Cicero.  Garrick,  first  of 
dramatic  actors,  rejoiced  that  he  had  not  cho- 
sen the  stage,  confessing  that  if  he  had,  his 
oAATi  fame  would  have  been  eclipsed ;  and 
Franklin — that  great  philosopher — sought  eve- 
ry opportunity  to  listen  to  the  eloquence  of 
that  wonderful  man.  He  influenced  more 
minds  than  have  ever  before  or  since  been 
swayed  by  any  public  speaker ;  and  diffused 
his  sentiments  through  more  hearts  than  anj- 
other  orator  that  has  lived.     It  pleased  God 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  75 

that  these  revivals  should  be  produced  and 
carried  on  under  the  ministry  of  the  most  pro- 
found reasoner  and  the  most  eloquent  man  of 
the  age,  that  scepticism  itself  might  be  dis- 
armed, and  that  the  world  might  have  a  pledge 
that  they  were  not  the  Avork  of  enthusiasm. 

The  effect  of  those  revivals  was  long  felt 
in  the  American  churches.  Yet  other  scenes 
Avere  drawing  near  of  great  interest  in  this 
land,  and  deeply  affecting  the  vitality  of  reli- 
gion. Soon  the  colonies  Avere  agitated  with 
the  calamities  incident  to  the  Avar  with  France, 
and  then  soon  again  Avith  the  absorbing  CA^ents 
of  our  OAAai  revolution.  Throughout  the  land 
the  effects  of  those  scenes  Avere  felt  in  the 
churches  and  on  religion.  In  not  a  few  in- 
stances churches  Avere  disorganized ;  their 
members  Avere  led  to  the  battle-field;  their 
ministers  Avere  compelled  to  leave  their  char- 
ges ;  the  houses  of  God  Avere  converted  into 
hospitals  ;  the  public  mind  AA-as  engrossed  with 
the  CA'ents  of  AV'ar ;  the  public  strength  was 
consecrated  to  the  defence  of  violated  rights; 
and  time,  and  influence  and  property  Avere 
demanded  to  achieve  our  independence.  As 
in  all  Avars,  the  institutions  of  religion  were 


76  VINDICATION    OF    KEVIVAT.S. 

neglected :  the  Sabbath  ceased  extensively  to 
be  a  day  of  holy  rest ;  and  profaneness,  and  in- 
temperance, and  licentiousness — every  where 
the  attendants  of  war — spread  over  the  land. 
In  the  scenes  which  characterized  the  Ameri- 
can revolution,  revivals  of  religion  could  not 
be  expected  to  occur,  nor  could  it  be  other- 
wise than  that  a  state  of  apathy  on  the  subject 
should  characterize  the  American  people. 

There  was  another  cause  immediately  suc- 
ceeding this,  that  tended  still  more  to  shake 
the  firmness  of  our  religious  institutions.  I 
allude  to  the  French  revolution.  From  the 
first,  the  American  people  deeply  sympathi- 
zed with  that  nation  in  their  struggles  for 
freedom.  To  them  we  had  been  bound  by 
ties  of  gratitude  for  valuable  services,  no  less 
than  by  the  sympathies  which  in  this  land  we 
always  must  feel  for  those  who  pant  for  liberty. 
The  consequence  was  obvious  ;  and  though 
alarming,  inevitable.  The  opinions  of  their 
philosophers  became  popular :  their  books 
were  kindly  entertained,  and  their  doctrines 
embraced.  The  revolution  in  France  was 
conducted  on  infidel  principles,  and  with  inn- 
dels  and  atheists  as  the  sruides  of  the  nation. 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  77 

In  our  love  for  liberty  we  forgot  our  hatred  of 
infidelity ;  and  in  our  ardent  wishes  for  sue* 
cess  in  the  cause  of  freedom,  we  forgot  that 
our  own  freedom  had  been  achieved  under 
the  guidance  of  other  men  than  Voltaire,  Di* 
derot,  and  D'Alembert ;  and  that  we  had  ac- 
knowledged another  Divinity  than  the  "  god- 
dess of  reason."  And  the  result  was  what 
might  have  been  foreseen.  In  the  years  that 
succeeded  our  revolution,  the  nation  was  fast 
sinking  into  infidelity  ;  and  Paine's  "  Age  of 
Reason"  was  fast  supplanting  the  Bible  in  the 
minds  of  thousands  of  our  countrymen.  A 
conflict  arose  between  Christianity  and  infi- 
delity. The  argument  Avas  close  and  long, 
and  infidelity  Avas  driven  from  the  field,  and  a 
victory  was  achieved  not  less  important  than 
the  victories  in  our  revolution.  That  intel- 
lectual warfare  saved  the  churches  in  this 
land  J  and  the  result  furnished  a  pledge  that 
infidelity  is  not  to  triumph  in  this  western 
world. 

III.  Yet  it  was  not  by  argument  only  that 
this  speculative  infidelity  was  met.  And  this 
leads  me  to  the  third  period  in  our  religious 
history.     The  Holy  Spirit   sealed  that  argu- 


78  VLNDICATION    OV    KKVIVALS. 

ment,  and  engraved  that  truth  on  the  heart  in 
the  revivals  of  religion  that  characterized  the 
close  of  the  last  and  the  beginning  of  the  pre- 
sent century.  Of  the  favored  agents  in  that 
time,  it  is  necessary  only  to  mention  the 
name  of  Dwight — a  name  that  was  a  pledge 
that  solid  piety,  sober  views,  elevated  char- 
acter, a  brilliant  fancy,  high  integrity  and 
moral  worth,  might  deem  itself  honored  to 
be  engaged  in  a  revival  of  religion.  Under 
a  single  sermon  of  his,  it  is  recorded  that  no 
less  than  three  revivals  of  religion  commenced ; 
and  in  Yale  college — a  place  where  least  of 
all  we  should  look  for  enthusiasm  and  fanati- 
cism, no  less  than  four  revivals  occurred  un- 
der his  presidency,  resulting  in  the  conversion 
of  two  hundred  and  ten  young  men,  who,  in 
their  turn,  have  been  the  instruments  of  the 
salvation  of  thousands  of  souls.  It  was  in 
such  scenes  that  God  interposed  to  save  the 
churches  and  our  country.  And  but  for  such 
works  of  grace  at  the  fountains  of  intelligence 
and  power,  infidelity  would  have  diffused  its 
rank  and  poisonous  weeds  over  the  land. 

IV.  The  other  period  in  our  religious  history 
is  more  directly  our  own  times — times  that 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  79 

have  been  eminently  characterized  for  revivals 
of  religion.  I  cannot  go  at  length  into  a 
statement  of  the  features  of  those  revivals, 
nor  of  their  influence.  I  can  only  say,  that  in 
one  part  of  our  land,  and  in  the  oldest  semi- 
nary of  learning  in  our  nation,  there  had  been 
a  deplorable  apostacy  from  the  sentiments  of 
our  fathers  ;  that  the  deity  and  atonement  of 
the  Son  of  God  was  denied  ;  that  this  form  of 
pretended  christian  doctrine  advanced  with 
great  pretensions  to  learning,  to  exclusive 
liberality,  to  critical  skill,  to  refinement,  to 
courtesy — that  it  appealed  to  the  great  and 
the  gay,  and  sought  its  proselytes  in  the  man- 
sions of  the  rich  and  the  homes  of  the  refined  ; 
and  that  it  stood  up  against  revivals  of  religion, 
and  all  the  forms  of  expanded  christian  bene- 
ficence. This  scheme  was  met  by  argument, 
and  learning,  and  critical  power  equal  to  its 
own.  But  not  by  that  alone.  It  has  been 
met  by  revivals  of  religion,  and  its  progress 
checked  by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on 
the  hearts  of  men. 

Another  feature  of  our  times.     We  were  fast 
becoming  a  nation  of  drunkards.     We  could 
ascertain  that  there  were  three  hundred  thou- 
8 


80  VINDICATTON   DF    REVIVALS. 

sand  drunkards  in  our  land,  and  that  from  ten 
to  twenty  thousand  were  annually  consigned 
to  drunkards'  graves.  And  this  mighty  evil 
has  also  been  met  by  revivals  of  religion. 
Hundreds  of  churches  have  been  visited  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  as  the  result  of  their  effbrts 
in  the  temperance  reformation  ;  and  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  our  young  men  have  been 
saved  from  the  evils  and  disgraces  of  intem- 
perance because  God  has  visited  the  churches 
with  the  influences  of  his  Spirit. 

There  was  another  dark  feature  in  our  reli- 
gious prospects.  The  love  of  gain  had  be- 
come, and  is  still  our  besetting  sin.  This 
passion  goads  on  our  countrymen,  and  they 
forget  all  other  things.  They  forsake  the 
homes  of  their  fathers  ;  they  wander  away 
from  the  place  of  schools  and  churches  to  the 
wilderness  of  the  west ;  they  go  from  the 
sound  of  the  Sabbath-bell,  and  they  forget  the 
Sabbath  and  the  Bible,  and  the  place  of  prayer ; 
they  leave  the  places  where  their  fathers  sleep 
in  their  graves,  and  they  forget  the  religion 
which  sustained  and  comforted  them.  They 
go  for  gold,  and  they  Avander  over  the  prairiej 
they  fell  the  forest,  they  ascend  the  stream  in 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS.  8! 

pursuit  of  it,  and  they  trample  clown  the  law 
of  the  Sabbath,  and  soon,  too,  forget  the  laws  of 
honesty  and  fair-dealing  in  the  insatiable  love 
of  gain.  Meantime  every  man,  such  is  our 
freedom,  may  advance  any  sentiments  he 
pleases.  He  may  defend  them  by  all  the  pow- 
er of  argument,  and  enforce  them  by  all  the 
eloquence  of  persuasion.  He  may  clothe  his 
corrupt  sentiments  in  the  charms  of  verse,  and 
he  may  make  a  thousand  cottages  beyond  the 
mountains  re-echo  with  the  corrupt  and  the 
corrupting  strain.  He  may  call  to  his  aid  the 
power  of  the  press,  and  may  secure  a  lodg- 
ment for  his  infidel  sentiments  in  the  most 
distant  habitation  in  the  republic.  What  can 
meet  this  state  of  things,  and  arrest  the  evils 
that  spread  with  the  fleetness  of  the  courser 
or  the  wind  1  What  can  pursue  and  overtake 
these  wanderers  but  revivals  of  religion — but 
that  Spirit  which,  like  the  wind,  acts  where  it 
pleases  %  Yet  they  must  be  pursued.  If  our 
sons  go  thus,  they  are  to  be  followed  and  re- 
minded of  the  commands  of  God.  None  of 
them  are  to  be  suffered  to  go  to  any  fertile 
vale  or  prairie  in  the  west  without  the  institu- 
tions of  the  Gospel ;  nor  are  they  to  be  suf- 


82  VINDICATION    OF    REVIWLS. 

fered  to  construct  fv  hamlet,  or  to  establish  a 
village,  or  to  build  a  city  that  shall  be  devoted 
to  any  other  God  than  the  God  of  their  fath- 
ers. By  all  the  self-denials  of  benevolence  ; 
by  all  the  power  of  argument ;  by  all  the  im- 
plored influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  they  are 
to  be  persuaded  to  plant  there  the  rose  of 
Sharon,  and  to  make  the  wilderness  and  the 
solitary  place  to  be  glad,  and  the  desert  to  bud 
and  blossom  as  the  rose.  In  such  circum- 
stances God  HAS  interposed;  and  he  has  thus 
blessed  our  own  land  and  times  with  signal 
revivals  of  religion. 

The  remarks  thus  far  made  conduct  us  to 
this  conclusion,  that  we  owe  most  of  our  re- 
ligion in  this  land  to  revivals  ;  that  the  great 
and  appalling  evils  which  have  threatened  us 
as  a  people  have  been  met  and  turned  back  by 
revivals ;  that  every  part  of  our  country  has 
thus,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  felt  the  in- 
fluence of  revivals.  Scarce  a  village  or  a  city 
smiles  on  all  our  vast  landscape  that  has  not 
been  hallowed  in  some  parts  of  its  history  by 
the  deep-felt  presence  of  Israel's  God.  And 
he  Avho  loves  his  countrj'^,  who  looks  back 
with  gratitude  to  those  periods  when  the  God 


VINDICATION    OF    REVIVALS,  83 

of  salvation  has  conducted  us  through  appal' 
ling  dangers  j  or  who  looks  abroad  upon  our 
vast  land  and  contemplates  the  mighty  move- 
ments in  the  pursuit  of  gold,  and  pleasure, 
and  ambition  ;  who  sees  here  how  inefficacious 
are  all  ordinary  means  to  arrest  the  evils  which 
threaten  us,  will  feel  the  necessity  of  crying 
unto  God  unceasingly  for  the  continuance  and 
extension  of  revivals  of  pure  religion. 
8* 


S  E  R  iM  0  N    111. 

THE    IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

"  ^nd  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sim 
should  be  j)reached  in  his  name  among  all 
nations^  beginning  at  Jerusalem. — Luke, 
xxiv :  47. 

In  two  previous  discourses  I  have  endeavored 
to  explain  the  nature  of  revivals  of  religion  t 
to  show  that  they  arc  in  accordance  with  the 
laws  of  the  human  mind  and  the  mode  in 
which  society  is  organized  ;  that  th  ey  are  de- 
scribed in  the  Scriptures  as  inestimable  bless- 
ings ;  and  that  their  value  has  been  shown  in 
a  special  manner  in  the  history  of  religion  in 
our  own  country.  My  particular  object  in 
this  course  of  Lectures,  however,  was  not  so 


IMPORTANCE    OF     REVIVALS.  85 

"much  to  vindicate  revivals  in  general,  as  to 
•consider  their  relation  to  cities  and  large 
towns ;  and  I  propose  now  to  enter  on  this, 
the  main  part  of  our  subject.  The  point 
which  will  be  before  us  at  this  time  will  be 

THE    IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS    OF    RELIGION     IN 

•CITIES  AND  LARGE  TOAVNS.  On  a  subject  so 
copious,  I  scarcely  know  where  to  begin,  or 
what  topics  of  illustration  to  select  out  of 
the  numbers  which  at  once  present  themselves 
to  the  mind.  But  passing  by  a  great  variety 
of  considerations  which  cannot  be  urged  in 
the  short  time  allotted  to  a  single  public  ser- 
vice, or  reserving  them  to  illustrate  other 
parts  of  our  main  subject,  I  shall  select  a  few 
designed  to  ascertain  the  Redeemer's  view  of 
the  im.portance  of  cities ;  the  view  of  the 
apostles  on  the  same  subject  5  and  the  bearing 
which  the  state  of  religion  in  cities  must  have 
on  the  world  at  large. 

I.  I  begin  with  the  view  which  the  Saviour 
had  of  the  importance  of  special  efforts  for 
the  conversion  of  cities. 

Our  text  contains  an  expression  of  his  views 
about  the  importance  of  revivals  in  cities. 
When  it  was  uttered,  he  was  about  to  finish 


86  iAn»0RTAXCE   or  p.F.vrvAr.s. 

his  work  on  earth.     He  had  made  an  atone- 
ment for  sin  :  ho  had  risen  from- the  dead  ;  he 
was  soon  to  ascend  to  heaven ;  and  he  was 
about  giving  to  his  disciples  his  parting  charge 
and  directing  them  in  regard  to  thoir  plans 
and  labors  for  the  conversion   of  the  world. 
It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  he  would  suggest 
to  them   the  most    feasible    and   economical 
itiode  of  expending  their  stren-gtU  and  farm- 
ing their    plans ;  and    that  he    would    direct 
them  how  to  act  in  the  most  ejfficient  manner 
on  the  strong  points  of  influence  in  the  world. 
Our  text  contains  the  sum  of  his  kislructions. 
Repentance  and  remission  of  sins  were  to  be 
preached  among  all  nsttions,  beginning  *t  Je- 
rusalem.    That  was  the  capital  of  the  nation  : 
that  the  place  where  he  had  been  put  to  death  j 
that  a  city  pre-eminent  in  wickedness  and  in 
influence  ;  and  that,  therfore,.  was  the  place  to 
which  their  attention  was  to  be  first  directed^ 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  also,,  as  an   illustration 
of  our  subject,  that   he  designed   that   they 
should  labor  there,  with  special   reference   tO' 
a  revival  of  religion  in  that  city.     There  they 
were  to  tarry  "  until  they  were   endued  with 
power  from  on  high,"  (verse  49,)  and  there  to 


IMPORTANCE     OF    REVIVALS.  87 

■"  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father."  Acts, 
1  :  4.  In  that  great  and  guilty  metropolis 
they  M'^ere  to  remain  mitil  the  great  move- 
ment for  the  conversion  of  the  world  to  God 
was  to  be  commenced  in  a  glorious  revival 
of  religion. 

The  Redeemer's  views  of  the  importance 
of  religion  in  cities  were  further  illustrated 
by  his  own  personal  labors  when  on  earth. 
He  had  designed  a  personal  ministry  that  was 
to  continue  but  three  or  four  years ;  and  it 
was  manifestly  a  question  with  him  where 
that  period  could  be  most  advantageously 
spent  for  the  great  objects  which  he  had  in 
view.  Thirty  years  he  had  spent,  before  he 
entered  on  his  public  work,  in  the  quiet  re- 
treats of  an  obscure  and  hmiible  country  vil- 
lage ;  far  from  the  noise  and  bustle  of  a  large 
tOAvn ;  far  from  the  excitements  of  the  capi- 
tal ;  far  from  the  distractions  and  anxieties  of 
a  populous  city.  He  had  loved — we  may 
suppose  without  much  danger  of  indulging  in 
mere  fancy — the  hills  and  vales,  the  fields  and 
groves,  the  shady  retreats,  the  stillness  and 
quiet  of  the  region  around  Nazareth — a  love 
in  which  all  those  who    desire   to    cultivate 


'88  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

meek,  and  humble,  and  pure  relifrion  li)ie  hi'y 
will  participate — for  such  scenes  are  niosrt  fa- 
vorable to  communion  with  God.  Is  it  im- 
proper to  suppose  that  the  feelings  which 
made  the  Redeemer  delight  in  a  place  like 
Nazareth  were  such  as  prompted  the  follow^ 
ing  lines  from  the  sweet  christian  poet  Cow- 
per : 

"  Far  from,  tljc  world,  O  hand,  I  flee  ;. 

"  From  strife  and  tumult  far  ; 
"  From  Fceries  where  Satan  wages  still 

"  His  most  successful  war. 

"  Tiie  calm  retreat,  the  silent  shatle, 

"  With  prayer  and  praise  agree  ; 
"  And  seem  by  thy  sweet  bounty  made 

"  For  those  who  follow  ihce." 

But  when  he  entered  on  his  public  work,  he 
emerged  {vovci  this  obscure  and  humble  life. 
He  made  his  permanent  home  in  Capernaum, 
a  central  city  in  Galilee,  at  tlie  head  of  the 
sea  of  Tiberias.  He  preached  in  all  the 
cities  which  skirted  the  lake  of  Genne- 
sareth ;  in  the  large  towns  which  were  be- 
tween them  and  the  capital ;  and  he  preached 


IMPORTANCE   OF    REVIVALS.  89 

Vnuch  amidst  assembled  thousands  on  the 
great  festivals  in  Jerusalem  itself.  His  mighty 
works  were  in  the  vicinity  of  these  large 
towns,  where  thousands  could  easily  be  as- 
sembled to  hear  him.  He  Avas  found  in  the 
busy  haunts  of  men  ;  his  walks  were  along  the 
shores  of  that  lake  where  stood  Capernaum 
Chorazin,  Bethsaida ;  and  his  aim  was  to  car- 
ry at  once  the  influence  of  his  Gospel  to  the 
centres  of  influence  and  power.  The  sum  of 
his  views  on  this  subject  are  expressed  in  the 
following  passages  of  the  New  Testament : 
■  And  it  came  tt>  pass,"  says  Matthew,  '  when 
Jesus  had  made  an  end  of  comnaanding  his 
twelve  disciples,  he  departed  thence  to  teach 
and  to  preach  in  their  cities.'  Chapter  xi :  1. 
'-•  1  must  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,'  said  he, 
*  to  other  cities  also,  for  therefore  am  I  sent.' 
Luke,  iv :  43.  '  How  often,'  said  he  of  Jeru- 
salem, '  how  efteti  would  1  have  gathered  thy 
CHILDREN  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 
not.'  Matthew  xxiii  37,  Luke,  xiii. :  34.  So 
it  is  said  respecting  most  of  the  works  of 
his  public  ministry.  '  Then  began  he  to  up- 
braid the  cities  wherein  m-ost  of  his  mighty 


§0  IMPORTANCE   OF    REVIVALS, 

works  were  done,  because  they  repented  not/ 
Matthew  xi :  20.  It  is  a  circumstance  also 
which  may  throw  some  light  on  the  divine  es- 
timate of  the  importance  of  cities,  that  it  was 
predicted  that  the  announcements  of  the  Gos- 
pel would  be  first  made  to  them.  '  O  thou 
that  bringest  good  tidings  to  Zion,  get  thee 
up  into  the  high  mountain  ;  O  thou  that  tel- 
lest  good  tidings  to  Jerusalem,  lift  up  thy 
voice  with  strength  ;  lift  it  up,  be  not  afraid : 
say  UNTO  THE  CITIES  OF  JUDAH,  Behold  your 
God  !'  Isaiah,  xi :  9. 

The  same  thing  in  regard  to  the  views  of 
the  Redeemer  is  every  where  evinced  in  his 
instructions  to  his  disciples.  It  is  manifest 
that  he  anticipated  that  the  principal  sphere 
of  their  labors  would  be  in  cities  and  large 
tOAvns.  '  Into  whatsoever  city  or  town  ye 
shall  enter,  enquire  who  in  it  is  worthy."  Matt. 
10:  11.  "After  these  things  the  Lord  ap- 
pointed other  seventy  also,  and  sent  them  two 
and  two  before  his  face  into  every  city  and 
place  wither  he  himself  would  come."  John. 
10  :  1.  "  When  they  persecute  you  in  one 
city,  flee  ye  into  another  ;  for  verily  I  say 
unto  you,  ye   shall  not  have  gone  over  the 


IMPORTANCE    OF   REVIVALS.  91 

■^ities  of  Israel  till  the  Son  of  man  be  come." 
Matthew.  10  5  23.  From  these  and  numerous 
similar  passages  of  Scripture  it  is  evident 
that  the  Saviour  felt  that  it  was  of  special  im- 
portance that  great  efforts  should  be  made 
for  the  conversion  of  cities,  and  that  he  no^ 
only  spent  a  large  portion  of  his  own  public 
ministry  there,  but  anticipated  that  his  apos- 
tles would  also.  We  shall  not  err,  therefore,  in 
the  conclusion,  that  he  felt  that  it  was  of  spe- 
cial importance  that  <iities  and  large  towns 
should  be  pervaded  with  his  Oospel,  and  that 
■in  those  places  were  to  be  witnessed  signa] 
displays  of  his  saving  power. 

11.  The  same  conclusion  will  be  reached, 
if  we  examine  the  views  which  the  apostles 
had  of  the  importance  of  these  fields  of  labor. 
I  need  not  say  that  a  large  part  of  the  labors 
of  the  apostles,  so  far  as  the  Scripture  record 
informs  us,  was  devoted  to  cities  and  large 
towns,  and  that  the  most  signal  success  of  the 
Gospel  was  there.  All  that  is  needful  for  the 
illustration  of  his  part  of  our  subject,  is  the 
most  summary  reference  to  the  labors  of  the 
apostles  and  to  the  character  of  the  large 
cities  where  they  labored.  1  by  no  means 
9 


92  fMPORTANCE    OF    REVrvXL9 

mean  to  say  that  the  apostles  did  not  feel  k 
important  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  country- 
villages  and  neighborhoods.  Their  commis- 
sion extended  to  all  the  world,  and  we  know 
that  Paul  preached  the  Gospel  in  all  the  pla- 
ces where  he  travelled.  But  the  idea  is,  that 
they  felt  that  cities  were  central  places  of 
power  and  influence ;  that  they  were  the 
strong  holds  of  the  enemy  of  man ;  that 
wickedness  was  concentrated  there  ;  and  that 
their  object  was  to  go  from  city  to  city  until 
they  reached  the  capital  of  the  world,  the 
very  seat  of  imperial  power,  and  formed  their 
plan  with  a  des-ign  that  the  banners  of  the 
faith  should,  if  possible  before  they  died,  be 
seen  streaming  from  the  palaces  of  the  Cesars. 
They  acted  on  the  principle  on  which  Alex- 
ander and  Cesar,  and  all  the  great  conquerors 
of  all  times  act,  that  of  seizing  upon  the 
strong  places  of  power  and  holding  thiem  in 
subjection,  with  the  assurance  that  all  other 
places  will  then  become  an  easy  conquest. 

A  slight  glance  at  the  labors  of  the  apos- 
tles and  at  the  principal  places  where  the  Gos- 
pel triumphed  at  first,  will  show  the  estimate 
which  they  affixed  to  cities  and  large  towns. 


IMPORTANCE  OF    REVIVALS.  *M 

and  their  views  of  the  proper  places  where 
special  efforts  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel 
should  be  made.  The  Gospel  was  first  preach- 
ed, after  the  ascension  of  the  Redeemer,  in 
Jerusalem,  a  city  ten  miles  in  circumference, 
and  esteemed  the  thdrd  city  of  the  age,  the 
largest  city  of  the  land  in  which  he  lived,  and 
the  capital  of  the  nation.  The  apostles  went 
to  Antioch,  on  the  Orontes,  the  capital  of 
Syria,  and  made  that  a  centre  of  christian  in- 
fluence. They  preached  in  Ephesus,  regarded 
as  the  ornament,  and  in  fact  the  most  proud 
and  splendid  city  in  Asia  Minor,  and  estab- 
lished a  church  there.  There  stood  one  of 
the  seven  wonders  of  the  world,  and  there 
idolatry  was  intrenched  with  a  power  and  sus- 
tained with  a  magnificence  not  surpassed  in 
any  part  of  the  earth.  They  preached  in 
Derbe,  in  Lystra,  and  in  Iconium — cities  in 
the  same  region.  They  founded  churches  in 
Smyrna,  the  commercial  capital  of  Asia  Mi- 
nor ;  in  Pergamos,  the  literary  capital  of  Asia 
Minor ;  in  Thyatira ;  in  Sardis,  the  once 
splendid  capital  of  Croesus;  in  Philadelphia; 
and  in  Laodicea.  They  preached  in  Philippi 
;and  Thessalonica,  and  founded  churches  there. 


94  IMfORTANCfi    OK    REVIVALS. 

They  preached  in  Athens,  the  distinguishetf 
seat  of  philosophy,  science  and  art,  and  where 
the  Gospel  would  be  opposed  hy  the  most 
subtle  and  refined  philosophy  of  the  world  ; 
in  Corinth,  the  splendid  capital  of  Achaia,  and 
the  very  centre  of  refinement,  of  luxury,  and 
of  licentiousness — the  Paris  of  antiquity  ;  and 
they  carried  the  Gospel  to  the  very  capital  of 
the  world,  and  established  a  church  in  Rome 
itself.  Now  in  the  records  which  we  have  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  it  is  remarkable  that 
a  large  part  of  the  narrative  is  occupied  in 
detailing  the  labors  of  the  apostles  in  these 
and  in  other  cities  ;  and  it  is  as  remarkable  that 
notwithstanding  all  the  difficulties  in  the  case^ 
and  all  the  obstacles  to  the  Gospel  in  cities 
and  lage  tOA\Tis,  its  most  signal  triumphs  were 
there. 

From  this  allusion  to  the  labors  of  the  apos- 
tles the  following  things  are  demonstrated  r 
(1.)  That  they  deemed  cities  and  large  towns 
to  be  worthy  of  their  special  attention  and 
their  special  efforts.  (2.)  That  they  had- the 
utmost  confidence  in  the  truth  of  the  religion 
which  they  preached.  They  had  no  conceal- 
ment ;  they  had  no  fear  of  submitting  the  cvi  - 


IMrORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  95 

dences  of  their  religion  to  the  most  learned, 
acute,  and  philosophic  portions  of  mankind, 
They  sought  to  submit  the  proofs  of  Christi- 
anity to  the  philosophers  in  Athens,  in  Corinth, 
and  in  Rome ;  they  desired  to  exhibit  them  to 
the  priests  of  pagan  idolatry,  to  the  literati  of 
the  world,  and  to  princes,  nobles,  and  mon^ 
archs  ;  they  performed  their  miracles  in  the 
most  open  manner,  and  adduced  the  evidence 
of  the  resurection  of  their  Master  on  Mars' 
Hill  and  in  the  Roman  forum,  as  well  as  in 
Jerusalem  :  and  they  confidently  expected  that 
if  they  could  gei  a  hearing,  they  could  con- 
vince the  most  learned  and  philosophic  por- 
tions of  mankind  of  the  truth  of  the  christian 
religion.  Such  was  not  a  work  of  impostors; 
it  was  a  course  pursued  only  by  men  who 
were  honest,  and  who  had  the  most  unwaver^ 
ing  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  system  which 
they  preached,  (3.)  Their  course  demon- 
strates  that  the  Gospel  has  power  to  meet  all 
forms  of  sins  and  corruption,  and  that  there 
is  nothing  in  cities  and  large  towns  that  con- 
stitutes an  insuperable  obstacle  to  a  revival 
of  religion.  That  Gospel  which  had  power 
to  overcome  the  pride  and  deep  corruption  of 
9* 


96  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

the  Jewish  capital,  when  the  Redeemer  had 
just  been  put  to  death,  which  could  triumph 
in  gay  and  voluptuous  Corinth,  in  the  splendid 
capital  of  Asia  Minor,  and  in  Rome  itself,  has 
power  to  meet  any  form  of  gayety,  licentious- 
ness, corruption,  fashion,  idolatry,  and  com- 
bined sin  of  any  city  in  nominally  christian 
lands,  and  in  the  heathen  world.  They  who 
doubt  that  mighty  revivals  of  religion  may 
exist  in  large  cities  and  towns,  doubt  in  the 
face  of  all  history,  and  belie  all  the  records  of 
the  early  propagation  of  their  religion, 

III.  Having  thus  endeavored  ta  ascertain 
the  sense  of  the  Redeemer  and  of  the  apostles 
in  regard  to  the  importance  of  special  efforts 
for  the  conversion  of  cities  and  large  towns, 
I  proceed,  in  the  third  place,  to  remark  that 
that  importance  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  vast 
wealth  is  concentrated  in  those  places,  and 
that  the  purposes  of  Christianity  require  that 
that  wealth  should  be  consecrated  to  the  Re-- 
deemer.  When  I  speak  of  this.  I  do  not  mean,, 
of  course,  that  the  principal  wealth  of  any  com- 
munity is  in  such  places.  That  must  lie  scat- 
tered over  vast  surfaces,  and  be  in  many  handf- 
jn  order  to  maintain  cities  and  larafe  towns. 


IMPOKTANCE    OF   REVIVALS.  97 

But  I  speak  of  that  wealth  which  is  concentrated 
in  the  hands  of  the  comparatively  few  ;  of  the 
wealth  which  is  available  for  the  purposes  of 
christian  benevolence  ;  of  the  wealth  which 
has  the  principal  power  of  corrupting  or  sav- 
ing, of  destroying  or  blessing  the  world.  This 
world  is  to  be  converted  to  God,  and  it  is  in 
vain  to  attempt  this  without  large  and  liberal 
benefactions.  To  a  great  extent,  the  large 
sums  needed  for  that  object  must  and  will  be 
derived  from  the  dwellers  in  cities.  It  is 
there  that  we  expect  that  money  will  be  freely 
given  ;  whether  it  be  for  christian  charity  ; 
for  schools,  and  colleges,  and  seminaries  of 
learning ;  or  whether  it  be  for  political  pur- 
poses, for  the  patronage  of  fashion  and  vice, 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  theatre,  or  for  the 
support  of  profligacy  and  atheism.  The  effect 
of  true  religion  is  to  lead  men  to  consecrate 
their  property  honestly  and  wholly  to  God  j 
nor  can  there  be  any  true  religion  where 
this  is  not  done.  Now  one  has  only  to  cast 
an  eye  over  the  large  cities  and  to\vns  of  this 
land,  to  see  hov/  important  it  is  that  the  mighty 
power  of  the  Gospel  should  be  felt  there  in 
constraining  the  rich  to  devote  their  property 


98  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

to  God.  Let  him  a  moment  reflect  on  the 
abuses  of  that  property;  on  the  immense  sums 
which  are  expended  in  luxury  of  living  ;  in 
splendor  of  dwellings,  equippage,  and  apparel ; 
in  intoxicating  drinks ;  in  the  patronage  of 
the  theatre  and  various  corrupting  forms  of 
amusement ;  and  it  will  be  no  difTicult  matter 
to  see  how  important  it  is  that  the  influence 
of  religion  should  be  felt  in  the  cities  of  our 
land.  It  may  seem  startling,  but  it  is  probably 
true,  to  say,  that  all  expenses  of  the  various 
benevolent  societies  in  this  land  for  the  propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel  in  the  heathen  world, 
Avould  be  more  than  met  by  the  annual  ex- 
penses in  one  of  our  large  cities  for  the  single 
article  of  intoxicating  drinks.  In  the  city  of 
New- York,  during  the  last  year  but  two,  it  is 
ascertained  that  the  amount  paid  to  support 
its  four  theatres  was  more  than  was  contri- 
buted by  all  the  benevolent  societies  in  this 
country  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  That 
wealth  now  all  goes  to  corrupt  and  destroj' 
the  morals,  the  peace,  and  the  souls  of  men. 
It  is  in  citties  eminently  that  its  debasing 
power  is  felt.  It  is  there  that  it  alienates  the 
soul  from  God,  and  opens  fountains  of  corrup- 


iMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS,  99 

tion  before  the  unwary  and  the  young.  It  is 
there  on  every  hand  that  we  see  its  abuse  to 
purposes  of  infamy  ;  there  that  it  eminently 
resists  the  Gospel ;  and  there  that  it  sustains 
the  empire  of  Satan  on  earth.  It  is  there  that 
foreigners — dancers  and  actors — who  come  to 
debase  and  corrupt  the  young  with  the  lax 
notions  of  morals  which  prevail  in  the  licen- 
tious capitals  of  Europe,  are  chiefly  found. 
And  while  I  speak  of  this,  it  is  not  less  impor- 
tant to  make  another  remark  on  the  necessity 
of  revivals  of  religion  in  cities.  A  large  por- 
tion of  that  wealth  is  held  by  the  members  of 
the  christian  church,  and  it  is  a  fact,  that  the 
constantly  recurring  objects  of  christian  be- 
nevolence are  sustained  by  a  very  few  men 
out  of  the  many  hundreds  who  are  members 
of  the  churches.  To  re-convert  those  who  are 
in  the  church  ;  to  teach  them  the  true  value  of 
property,  and  the  true  intent  of  the  Giver  in 
bestowing  it  on  them  ;  to  show  them  "  a  more 
excellent  way"  than  to  hoard  it  or  to  expend 
it  for  luxury  and  magnificence  j  and  to  impress 
on  their  hearts,  as  a  great  vital  principle,  that 
all  they  have  belongs  to  God,  and  to  him  alone, 
is  now  one   of  the  most  desirable  objects  of 


100         IMPORTANCE  OF  REVIVALS. 

christian  benevolence,  and  one  of  the  chief 
things  to  be  accomplished  by  the  agency  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  our  land.  O  if  all  the  wealth 
in  these  cities  were  truly  consecrated  to  God, 
what  desolate  fields  of  heathenism  are  there 
in  the  wide  world  which  would  not  soon  smile 
under  the  blessings  of  the  Gospel  1  what  de- 
sert and  solitary  place  is  there  that  would  not 
bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose  1 

IV.  The  talent  concentrated  in  cities  and 
large  towns  is  a  fourth  reason  why  special 
efforts  should  be  made  for  their  conversion. 
Before  I  am  through  with  what  I  wish  to  say 
on  this  head,  I  shall  not  be  suspected  of  a  de- 
sign to  flatter  the  inhabitants  of  such  places 
as  being  in  general  superior  to  all  the  rest  of 
mankind  in  intellectual  strength  or  in  solid  at- 
tainments. I  have  passed  three-fourths  of  my 
life  and  one-third  of  my  ministry  in  the  coun- 
try ;  and  I  have  endeavored  to  observe  the 
comparative  amount  of  intellect  and  good 
sense  in  the  two  situations.  When  I  speak, 
therefore,  of  the  talent  in  cities  as  a  reason 
for  special  effort  for  their  conversion,  or  to 
show  their  importance,  I  by  no  means  wish  to 
be  understood  as  affirming  that  the  inhabitants 


IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  101 

of  cities  are  pre-eminently  clistinguished  for 
what  Mr.  Locke  calls  "  large,  sound,  round- 
about sense."  I  do  not  mean  that  there  is,  in 
general,  more  power  to  appreciate  a  solid  ar- 
gument or  close  reasoning  ;  or  that  there  is 
•a  better  acquaintance  with  the  Bible ;  or  a 
higher  appreciatioix  of  the  maxims  of  sound 
morals  ;  or  more  patient  reflection  on  the  du- 
ties of  life  ;  or  a  more  attentive  contemplation 
of  the  relations  which  men  sustain  to  their 
Maker  ;  or  a  higher  power  of  detecting  so- 
phistry, or  of  pronouncing  on  that  which  is 
characterized  in  public  discourses  by  mere 
sound,  or  by  false  and  shallow  attempts  at 
reasoning.  And  to  apply  my  remarks  to  the 
immediate  subject  before  us,  I  by  no  means 
mean  to  say  that  the  mass  of  people  in  this 
land  in  the  country  are  not  as  fully  able  to 
appreciate  good  preaching  as  their  more  fa- 
vored and  perhaps  envied  city  brethren.  Nor 
do  I  mean  to  say  that  the  hurry  and  bustle  of 
a  city  life  is  well  adapted  to  train  men  for  pa- 
tient thought ;  or  that  the  kind  of  education 
which  the  mass  of  those  in  the  so-called  more 
elevated  ranks  in  cities  receive,  peculiarly 
qualifies  them  for  the  office  of  judging  of  the 


i02  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

truths  of  religion,  in  comparison  with  tlios^ 
who  have  been  trained  in  what  are  esteemed 
the  hmnbler  walks  of  a  country  life.  The 
truth  is,  neither  situation  in  itself  makes  men 
qualified  for  patient  and  sound  reflection,  nei- 
ther situation  makes  them  of  course  fools. 
Alike  in  city  and  in  eountry  in  this  land,  there 
are  multitudes — it  is  the  condition  of  the  mass 
of  the  people — who  are  endowed  with  good 
sense,  with  sober  views,  with  patient  thought, 
and  with  appropriate  education,  to  fit  them  to 
understand  the  truths  of  religion,  to  weigh 
well  its  evidences,  and  to  appreciate  a  sensi- 
ble argument  when  a  sensible  argument  is 
urged  ;  nor  do  I  know  that  one  situatioji  can 
claim  priority  over  the  other. 

It  is  true,  moreover,  that  the  talent  in  a  city 
is  often  greatly  over-rated ;  and  I  do  not  mean 
to  say  that  the  Saviour  or  the  apostles  ever 
sought  a  city  because  they  supposed  the  mass 
of  intellect  there  was  more  elevated  or  culti- 
vated than  elsewhere.  It  is  true  that  minis- 
ters often  over-rate  the  amount  of  talent  in  a 
city,  and  that  they  sometimes  evince  an  anxi' 
ety  to  be  city  pastors — which  is  anything  but 
a  commendation  of  their  own  discernment,  or 
their  qualifications  for  the  office,   or  of  their 


IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  103 

power  of  judging  of  the  place  where  true 
happiness  is  to  be  found — for,  I  take  it,  the 
brightest  picture  of  happiness  in  this  world 
is  in  the  image  of  a  much  loved  and  venerated 
pastor  in  the  quiet  retreats  of  a  country  par- 
ish. It  is  true,  also,  that  there  is  sometimes  a 
fear  of  a  city  congregation  and  of  a  city 
dwelling — which  operates  much  to  prevent  a 
faithful  application  of  the  truth — as  if  splen- 
did apparel  was  necessarily  connected  with 
profound  intellect ;  or  sofas,  and  ottomans, 
and  marble  mantels,  and  well  ladened  centre- 
tables  necessarily  implied  cultivated  minds  ; 
or  gay  and  gorgeous  equippage  conferred  the 
power  of  criticising  profoundly  and  judging 
correctly  of  moral  subjects.  The  truth  is 
that  patient  thinking,  long-cherished  recollec- 
tions of  an  apt  illustration  or  a  solid  argu- 
ment, and  just  appreciation  of  a  sound  dis- 
course, are  often  found  most  perfectly  in  the 
farmer  who  is  all  the  week  at  his  plough,  and 
not  in  the  whirl  of  fashion  and  business  of  a 
city  life  ;  a  life  where  with  the  scenes  of  busi- 
ness of  Monday  morning  are  obliterated  all 
the  arguments,  and  illustrations,  and  impres- 
sions of  the  previous  day. 
10 


104<  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

But  while  this  is  true,  it  is  true,  also,  that 
in  this  land  and  in  all  others  the  talent  that 
most  decidedly  directs  public  opinion,  and 
that  acts  with  most  power  on  the  public 
mind,  is  found  concentrated  usually  in  cities 
and  large  towns.  The  most  decided  and  in- 
fluential talent  in  Judeawas  undoubtedly  found 
in  Jerusalem  ;  the  most  profound  intellect  in 
Greece  was  in  Athens  and  in  Corinth ;  the 
most  mighty  minds  in  the  Roman  empire  were 
concentrated  in  Rome  itself  and  in  the  sur- 
rounding towns  and  villas.  It  was  from  these 
centres  that  the  power  of  talent — more  then 
than  now — at  the  bar,  in  the  forum,  in  the 
senate-chamber;  the  power  of  talent  in  phil- 
osophy, in  the  drama,  in  eloqence,  and  in 
song  was  diffused  throughout  the  world.  Such, 
though  to  a  less  extent  comparatively,  is  the 
case  now.  The  principal  talent  in  the  medical 
and  legal  professions  will  seek  cities  and  large 
towns  as  the  places  where  it  may  be  exercised 
to  advantage — whether  the  purpose  be  gold 
or  fame.  Science  and  literature,  for  obvious 
reasons,  Avill  be  found  there  ;  and  the  talent 
which  seeks  to  influence  great  masses  of 
mind  ;  to  direct  public  opinion ;  or  to  rise  to 


IMPORfANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  105 

sudden  affluence  and  fame,  will  flow  to  such 
centres.  All  this  is  obvious  and  indisputable  ; 
and  it  is  as  obvious  and  indisputable,  that  it  is 
desirable  that  special  efforts  should  be  made 
that  that  talent  should  be  converted  to  God. 
It  is  not  that  the  soul  of  a  profound  philoso- 
pher, or  of  a  man  of  eminent  legal  attain- 
ments, or  of  a  man  distinguished  in  the  medi- 
cal profession,  or  of  a  man  distinguished  for 
science  or  eloquence,  is  of  more  value,  or 
cost  the  Saviour  more  pangs  to  redeem  it, 
than  their  humblest  client  or  patient,  or  the 
most  unlettered  man  in  the  cottage  of  pover- 
ty ;  but  it  is  that  that  talent  is  endowed  with 
higher  power  for  good  or  evil,  and  that  its  in- 
fluence must  be  wider  spread  in  promoting  or 
retarding  true  religion. 

V.  I  add,  as  a  fifth  consideration,  the  fact 
that  cities  and  large  towns  are  places  where 
strangers  resort  in  great  multitudes,  and  that 
revivals  of  religion  are  especially  needed 
there  for  their  conversion  and  for  a  healthful 
moral  influence  on  their  minds.  It  will  be 
recollected  that  in  our  text  the  Saviour  directs 
his  apostles  to  begin  the  work  of  preaching 
the  Gospel    "  at   Jerusalem."     Turn   now  to 


106  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS. 

the  second  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 
tles, and  you  will  see  at  least  one  reason  why 
this  direction  was  given.  The  feast  of  Pen- 
tecost was  near,  and  on  that  occasion  it  was 
arranged  by  the  Redeemer,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  should  descend  in  the  first  great  and 
glorious  revival  of  religion.  Yet  on  that  oc- 
casion we  are  told  "  there  were  dwelling 
(or  sojourning,)  at  Jerusalem  Jews,  devout 
men,  out  of  every  nation  under  heaven." 
Acts,  2:5.  "  Parthians,  and  Medes,  and 
Elamites,"  we  are  told  were  there  ;  "  and  the 
dwellers  in  Mesopotamia,  and  in  Judea,  and 
Cappadocia,  in  Pontus,  and  Asia,  Phrygia,  and 
Pamphylia,  in  Egypt,  and  in  the  parts  of  Libya 
about  Cyrene,  and  strangers  of  Rome,  Jews 
and  proselytes,  Cretes  and  Arabians."  Acts, 
2:  9-11.  It  was  not  without  design  that  the 
Gospel  was  to  be  first  proclaimed  with  power, 
and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  was  to  descend  when 
these  strangers  were  there.  What  Avould  be 
the  obvious  effect  of  their  conversion  1  The 
Gospel  would  soon  be  borne  by  them  to  the 
farthest  part  of  the  then  known  world.  Those 
strangers  were  soon  to  disperse  and  return  to 
their  homes — ^just  as  the  flitting  multitudes  do 


IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  107 

that  sojourn  in  this  city  for  a  little  while  for 
business  or  for  pleasure.  But  the  Saviour 
saw  that  if  those  multitudes  were  brought  un- 
der the  influence  of  a  revival  of  religion ;  if 
while  they  were  in  Jerusalem  they  were  led 
to  embrace  the  true  Messiah ;  if  while  there 
their  minds  were  directed  to  the  eternal  wel- 
fare of  the  soul,  and  they  should  return  to 
their  homes  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel,  the  effect  would  be  immediate  almost 
on  the  remotest  portions  of  the  world.  How 
different  would  be  the  influence  on  the  destiny 
of  mankind  from  what  it  would  have  been 
had  those  "  strangers"  been  invited  by  the 
professing  christians  to  splendid  entertain- 
ments and  parties  of  pleasure  ;  or  had  they 
been  introduced  as  distinguished  strangers  of- 
ten are  in  our  cities  now — and  1  fear  some- 
times by  professing  christians  too — to  thea- 
tres, or  invited  and  tempted,  as  they  are  now, 
to  drink  deep  of  the  intoxicating  bowl ! 

What  would  be  the  effect  on  the  strangers 
that  crowd  this  city  of  a  continual  revival  of 
religion  here  1  What  would  be  the  effect  on 
their  minds  and  hearts  if  they  should  be  con- 
strained to  feel  when  they  enter  our  houses 
10* 


108  IMrORTAiN'CE    OF    REVIVALS. 

of  worship,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  there 
as  he  was  in  Jerusalem  on  the  day. of  Pente- 
cost 1  What  would  be  the  effect  if  in  their 
transactions  of  business  here  they  should  find 
all  our  merchants — or  even  all  our  professedly 
christian  merchants — governed  only  by  the 
pure  and  holy  principles  of  the  Gospel  \ 
What  would  be  the  effect,,  if,  when  they  arc 
invited  to  our  dwellings,  they  should  see  the 
decanter  banished  from  every  side-board  and 
every  table,  and  the  style  of  living  regulated 
by  a  conscientious  regard  to  the  will  of  Christ ; 
and  the  Gospel,  the  whole  Gospel,  and  noth- 
ing but  the  Gospel  controling  us  in  our  dwel- 
lings \  What  would  be  the  effect  if  one 
mighty  and  far-pervading  revival  of  religion 
here,  like  that  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  should 
make  the  visiters  to  the  theatres  so  few  that 
they  would  be  closed,  and  should  make  it  dis- 
reputable for  a  stranger  or  a  citizen  to  patron- 
ize a  place  of  corruption  and  infamy  ?  How 
soon  would  the  effect  be  visible  in  the  extrem- 
ity of  the  land  and  the  world !  To  see  this, 
let  these  facts  be  borne  in  mind:  (1.)  Great 
numbers  of  strangers  are  in  all  our  large  ci- 
ties, at  all  times,  from  every  part  of  our  land 


IMPORTANCE  OF  REVIVALS.        109 

and  the  world.  I  preach  the  Gospel  every 
year  to  many  hundreds  of  such  persons  ;  and 
probably  I  am  not  exceeding  the  truth  when  I 
say  that  the  aggregate  of  such  persons  is  con- 
siderably more  than  the  number  of  my  regu- 
lar hearers.  To  a  great  extent  this  is  true  of 
all  other  pastors  in  this  city  and  in  other  ci- 
ties. I  trust  and  believe  that  the  eflect  of 
their  worshipping  with  us  has  not  had  an  un- 
happy influence  on  their  minds  (if  I  may  use 
the  language  of  Paul  as  descriptive  of  what 
I  mean)  while  they  have  been  "  beholding 
your  order,  and  the  steadfastness  of  your  faith 
in  Christ ;"  (Col.  2:5;)  and  I  have  been  per- 
mitted to  know  of  some  most  happy,  and  I 
trust  saving  influences  on  the  minds  of  stran- 
gers resulting  from  their  worshipping  with  us. 
But  it  is  not  unkindness  to  ask  what  v:ould 
have  been  the  effect  on  the  multitudes  which 
have  been  with  us,  had  they  witnessed  here 
scenes  like  those  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  1 
(2.)  Again,  those  strangers  are  usually  men 
of  influence,  wealth,  und  power  at  home. 
They  are  the  centres  of  opinion  to  large  cir- 
cles there.  They  control  the  habits,  or  the 
fashions,  or  the  religieus  opinions  of  those  by 


no  IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVy\LS. 

whom  thgy  are  surrounded.  A  large  portion 
of  those  to  whom  /  preach  in  this  manner  are 
the  respectable  and  influential  merchants  of 
the  west ;  men  who  are  doing-  as  much  as  any 
others  to  form  the  habits  of  the  mighty  em- 
pire that  is  rising  up  beyond  the  mountains  ; 
men  who  are  moulding  that  vast  population 
that  is  soon  to  give  to  this  nation  its  presi- 
dent, its  great  officers  of  government,  and  its 
laws  ;  and  men  who  in  that  vast  region  are 
either  to  stay  the  tide  of  infidelity  and  sin,  or 
to  urge  it  onward  ;  for  if  we  are  ever  to  be  a 
nation  of  slaves,  the  chain  that  is  to  bind  us 
is  to  be  forged  beyond  the  mountains.  They 
are  the  men  who  are  to  be  the  patrons  of  or- 
der and  education,  of  common  schools,  of 
colleges,  and  of  the  institutions  of  religion  ; 
— many  of  them  are  men  who  are  pillars  in 
those  churches,  and  whose  piety  is  to  receive 
an  impression  that  shall  be  lasting,  even  du- 
ring a  temporary  sojourning  with  us.  It  is 
needless  to  ask  what  would  be  the  influence 
on  such  men  if  they  found  this  city  and  all 
these  churches  blessed  with  revivals  of  reli- 
gion like  rains  and  dews  of  heaven. 

III.  Again.     If  I    address  one  such   stran- 


IMPORTANCE    OF    REVIVALS.  Ill 

ger  now,  he  will  pardon  me  if  I  make  a  re- 
mark particularly  applicable  to  himself,  if  I 
do  not  address  such  an  one,  the  remark  will 
be  useful  to  others,  as  reminding  them  of 
what  is  the  fact  in  regard  to  such  strangers, 
and  of  the  need  of  a  pure,  heavenly,  christian 
influence  in  all  our  churches  here.  The  re- 
mark is,  that  even  christians  are  not  always  as 
consistent  and  circumspect  when  they  are 
abroad  as  when  they  are  at  home.  They  are, 
or  suppose  they  are,  unobserved.  They  are 
away  from  the  vigilant  eye  of  a  wife,  a  neigh- 
bor, a  child.  They  feel  that  there  is  less  de- 
pending on  their  example  than  when  they  are 
under  the  well  known  eye  of  a  vigilant  pub- 
lic opinion.  Members  of  the  churches  some- 
times travel  on  the  Sabbath  when  away  from 
home,  and  when  they  suppose  it  possible  they 
will  not  be  known  as  professing  christians. 
They  sometimes  attend  church  but  a  part  of 
the  day  when  in  cities,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  day  is  devoted  to  sight-seeing.  It  is  an 
obvious  plea  with  them  that  they  are  engaged 
in  business  during  the  week,  and  that  it  cannot 
be  very  improper  for  them  to  visit  public  places 
once  on  the  Sabbath  when  they  are  unknown. 


112  IMPORTANCE    OF    IlEVIVALS. 

And  it  is  not  improbable  that  of  a  Sabbath  af- 
ternoon, in  the  spring  or  summer,  enough  such 
professors  might  usually  be  found  at  the  pla- 
ces of  public  resort  to  constitute  a  church 
respectable  enough  in  numbers  to  celebrate 
the  Lord's  supper.  They  sometimes  also  vi- 
sit places  of  somewhat  doubtful  morality,  and 
where,  if  at  home,  they  never  would  be  found. 
It  is  not  impossible  that  christian  ministers 
and  other  members  of  the  churches  sometimes 
visit  the  opera  in  Paris  or  in  Italy,  who  would 
have  many  misgivings  about  recommending 
such  a  course  to  the  more  spiritual  part  of 
their  flo  ck  or  their  brother  christians  at  home, 
and  Avho  themselves,  when  there,  are  most 
conscientious  in  abstaining  from  such  amuse- 
ments. And  I  may  ask,  are  professors  of  re- 
ligion and  officers  of  the  churches  from  other 
parts  of  our  land  never  found  in  the  theatres 
of  our  cities  1  It  is  very  doubtful  whether 
a  single  theatre  could  be  sustained  for  a  month 
in  this  city  if  it  were  not  for  the  patronage  of 
strangers.  But  if  this  be  the  fact,  then  the 
importance  of  revivals  here,  of  a  healthful,  con- 
stant, unceasing  heavenly  influence  in  all  our 
churches,  is  apparent.     To  influence  the  stran- 


IMPORTANCa    OF    REVIVALS.  113 

ger  christian ;  to  incline  his  heart  more  and  more 
to  the  ways  of  God  ;  to  keep  him  from  temp- 
tation when  here  ;  and  to  send  him  back  to 
his  home,  blessed  not  only  by  our  hospitality 
but  with  more  of  the  Spirit  of  his  Master, 
we  should  pray  unceasingly  for  the  descend- 
ing influences  of  the  grace  of  God  on  all  our 
churches  and  on  all  the  population  of  this 
city.  To  save  the  stranger  that  comes  among 
us  from  the  dram-shop,  the  theatre,  the  house 
of  infamy,  we  should  beseech  the  God  of 
heaven  that  he  may  be  greeted  when  he  comes 
here  with  the  influence  of  religion  ;  that  every 
christian  whom  he  may  meet  may  show  that 
his  heart  is  deeply  engaged  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord,  and  feels  a  deep  interest  in  the  salvation 
of  souls  ;  and  that  throughout  all  our  cities 
and  towns  there  may  be  felt  the  power  of  the 
presence  of  the  God  of  revivals. 


SERMON   IV. 

The  desirableness  ol  revivals. 

"  0  Lord,  revive  thy  work  in  (he  midst  of  the 
years,  in  the  midst  of  the  years  make  known; 
in  wrath  remember  mercy.'' — Hab.  iii :  2. 

The  sentiment  of  this  text,  in  the  connec- 
tion in  which  it  stands,  is,  that  a  revival  of 
pure  religion  was  desirable  ;  and  particularly 
in  view  of  tiie  awful  judgments  of  God,  and 
the  manifestations  of  his  majesty  and  justice 
which  the  prophet  saw  in  vision.  God  is  seen 
by  the  prophet  approaching  amidst  many  ter- 
rors to  take  vengeance  on  the  wicked.  His 
glory  covers  the  heavens,  and  the  earth  is  full 
of  his  praise.     His  brightness  is  as  the  light ; 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  llS 

and  there  are  bright  beams  (marg.)  like  play^ 
ing  lightnings  at  his  side.  Before  him  goes 
the  pestilence,  and  burning  coals  at  his  feet. 
The  nations  are  driven  asunder  ;  and  the  ever- 
lasting mountains  are  scattered ;  the  perpetual 
hills  bow ;  and  the  deep  lifts  up  its  voice* 
The  sun  and  the  moon  stand  still  in  their  hab-- 
itation ;  and  the  universe  is  in  consternation 
at  the  awful  presence  of  Jehovah.  In  view 
of  these  sublime  and  awful  manifestations, 
the  prophet  pleads  with  God  to  revive  his 
work,  and  to  remember  mercy  in  the  midst 
of  wrath.  It  was  only  by  a  revival  of  religion 
that  his  wrath  could  be  averted  j  or  that  his 
people  could  be  prepared  for  these  sublime 
exhibitions  of  their  God. 

I  shall  take  occasion  from  these  words  to 
address  you  on  the  desirableness  of  revivals 
of  religion,  particularly  in  cities  ;  and  shall 
endeavor  to  adhere  so  far,  at  least,  to  the  sen- 
timent of  the  text,  as  to  keep  before  the  eye 
the  desirableness  of  such  works  of  grace  from 
the  awful  displays  of  Divine  justice  which  the 
inhabitants  of  guilty  cities  have  reason  to 
apprehend.  My  last  lecture  on  this  general 
subject  was  on  the  importance  of  cities  and 
11 


116  UESIKAHLENKSS    OF    llEVIVALS. 

large  towns,  particularly  witli  reference  to  re- 
ligion. My  design  in  this  discourse  is  to 
state  some  reasons  why  such  works  of  grace 
as  I  have  endeavored  to  describe  as  inclu- 
ded under  the  word  revivals,  are  desirable 
in  such  places. 

Who  doubts  this  1  it  may  at  once  be  asked  ; 
And  what  is  the  necessity  of  discoursing  on 
so  plain  a  topic  to  a  christian  people  1  Are 
there  any  christians  who  doubt  that  a  revival 
of  pure  religion  in  a  city  is  desirable  1  And 
can  there  be  a  necessity  to  occupy  the  time 
of  an  entire  service  on  a  point  w'here  there 
can  be  but  one  opinion  ]  These  questions,  I 
doubt  not,  would  be  asked  by  many,  in  a  can- 
did and  not  a  captious  spirit  ;  and  they  demand 
an  answer  in  the  same  spirit.  In  a  word,  then, 
1  would  reply,  (1.)  That  men  often  admit 
that  to  be  true  in  relation  to  which  they  have 
little  feeling  or  emotion  ;  and  my  w'ish  in  re- 
gard to  a  large  portion  of  my  hearers,  is  not 
so  much  to  convince  their  understandings  on 
so  plain  a  pointy  as  to  enkindle  in  the  heart  an 
earnest  desire  for  such  works  of  mercy.  It 
may  be  that  the  main  point  of  my  discourse 
would  be  at  once  admitted  to  be  true  without 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  117 

argument ;  but  it  may  be,  also,  that  its  force 
may  be  more  deeply  felt  by  the  contemplation 
of  the  views  which  I  shall  exhibit.  (2.)  To 
the  candid  questions  Avhich  I  have  snpposed 
to  be  submitted  to  me  at  the  outset  of  my 
argument,  I  wish  also  to  propose  one  or  two 
in  reply,  in  a  spirit  and  manner  as  candid  and 
as  free  from  captiousness.  Is  it  true,  then, 
that  all  professed  christians  really  desire  a 
revival  of  religion  of  the  kind  which  I  have  de- 
scribed \  Are  there  none  who  start  back  at  the 
word  REVIVAL,  and  who  feel  an  instinctive  dis- 
like to  the  name  %  Are  there  none  in  Avhose 
minds  the  word  suggests  the  idea  of  mere 
excitement ;  of  scenes  of  enthusiams  and  dis- 
order ;  of  irregularity  and  wildfire  %  Are  there 
none  who,  when  they  pray,  and  with  very 
honest  intentions  in  the  main,  for  a  revival, 
do  it  with  many  qualifications  and  mental  re- 
servations, and  Avith  an  apprehension  or  fear 
that  the  prayer  may  be  answered ; — who  pray 
from  the  custom  of  using  such  language,  ra- 
ther than  from  any  intelligent  and  sincere  wish 
that  such  scenes  as  that  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost may  be  witnessed  \  And  I  cannot  but 
ask  one  more  question.     When  prayers  are 


118  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

offered  for  revivals,  are  there  no  prayers 
against  them  1  While  the  fervent  petitions  of 
a  portion  of  an  assembled  church  ascend  to 
heaven  for  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit  like 
floods  and  showers,  are  there  no  prayers  as- 
cending to  heaven,  or  no  secret  desires,  that 
such  influences  may  be  restained  1  no  counter 
petitions  that  cross  and  recross  the  prayers  of 
those  who  love  revival ;,  as  they  ascend  up  to 
God  \  It  is  not  given  to  men  to  know  the 
hearts,  nor  the  real  feelings  and  desires  of  the 
professed  people  of  God  ;  but  if  it  could  be 
ascertained,  it  would  not  be  uninteresting  to 
know  what  portion  of  professed  christians,  in 
deep  and  fervent  sincerity,  daily  pray,  "  O 
Lord,  revive  thy  work  !" 

I  do  not  consider  it,  therefore,  superfluous 
to  state  some  reasons  why  revivals  of  religion 
are  desirable. 

But  what  would  be  the  scene,  should  there 
be  a  revival  of  religion  in  a  city  like  this  \  I 
have,  on  a  former  occasion  explained  at  length 
my  views  of  the  nature  of  a  revival.  To  the 
success  of  my  argument  at  this  time,  it  is 
quite   material  that   we   have    some   distinct 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  119 

idea  of  what  would  actually  occur  in  such  a 
case. 

It  would  not  be  mere  excitement.  I  have 
no  fondness  for  mere  excitement.  1  do  not 
advocate  it.  Indeed  a  very  large  part  of  my 
ministerial  labors  is  directed  against  excite- 
ment, and  intended  to  allay  and  restrain  its 
feverishness.  I  refer  to  the  agitations  pro- 
duced by  the  love  of  gain,  and  those  which 
are  exhibited  in  the  political  world,  and  in  the 
excited  and  excitable  world  of  gayety  and 
fashion.  I  have  never  uttered  a  word  in  fa- 
vor of  disorder,  lawlessness,  irregularity,  ec- 
centricity, or  of  any  religious  movement  which 
would  be  a  violation  of  decency  and  order.  I 
am  no  advocate  for  suspending  the  proper 
business  of  life,  or  of  breaking  in  upon  regular 
employment  in  honest  and  honorable  industry. 
I  have  no  views  of  religion  or  of  revivals 
which  would  not  make  men  more  sober,  and 
honest,  and  industrious,  and  chastened  in  their 
lives.  I  have  not  one  word  to  say  in  disregard 
of  the  urbanities  and  civilities  of  social  life  ; 
of  the  respect  due  to  rank  and  office  ;  not  one 
word  to  say  in  favor  of  what  has  sometimes 
been  charged  on  the  promoters  of  revivals — 
11* 


120  DESIRABLENESS   OF    REVIVALS. 

falsely  in  general — a  contempt  for  the  courte- 
sies of  life,  and  an  outrage  on  the  feelings  of 
others.  I  hold  no  views  of  religion  which 
would  not  make  men  more  courteous,  refined, 
and  truly  polite  and  respectful  in  revivals  and 
at  all  times.  I  advocate  no  excitement  but 
that  which  truth  produces — and  not  half  as 
much  as  prevails  in  the  gay  world  ;  I  advocate 
the  necessity  for  no  new  doctrines  to  carry  on 
such  a  Avork — no  doctrines  but  such  as  were 
preached  by  the  Redeemer  and  his  apostles ; 
I  advocate  no  means  and  measures  but  such 
as  are  best  adapted  to  secure  to  the  Gospel — 
the  pure  Gospel — access  to  the  human  heart, 
and  such  as  are  in  accordance  with  all  the 
settled  institutions  of  Christianity  j  and  I  ad- 
vocate no  style  of  preaching  that  is  vulgar  in 
diction  or  action  ;  that  is  offensive  to  good 
taste  in  tone  and  manner  ;  that  is  not  the  result 
of  careful  preparation  ;  that  is  not  character- 
ized by  the  condensation  of  as  much  truth  as 
can  be  made,  to  reach  the  hearts  of  men ;  no 
preaching  where  the  preacher  is  not  much 
impressed,  as  conscious  of  his  awful  charge, 
and  anxious  mainly  that  the  flock  he  feeds 
should  feel  it  too. 


DESIRABLENESS    OP    REVIVALS.  121 

What  effects,  then,  should  we  anticipate 
from  a  general  revival  of  religion  in  a  city  1 
There  are  in  this  city,  for  illtistration,  and  its 
surrounding  districts  and  liberties,  somewhere 
about  twenty-six  thousand  families.  What  is 
the  character  of  a  large  portion  of  them,  I 
need  not  now  pause  to  say.  Now  the  effect 
of  a  revival  of  religion  that  should  pervade 
the  whole  population,  would  be  seen  at  once 
m  those  families,  and  inallthe  influences  that 
go  from  the  family  hearth  and  altar,  and  would 
be  diffused  from  those  centres  over  all  the 
walks  of  life.  Every  family,  if  religion  were 
to  diffuse  its  influence  there,  would  be  a  fa- 
mily of  prayer.  The  morning  and  the  evening 
sacrifice  would  ascend  to  God.  Grateful 
praise  would  be  poured  on  the  ear  of  Jehovah 
in  all  these  dwellings,  as  the  beams  of  the 
new  morning  sun  diffused  their  radiance  over 
the  world  ;  and  in  the  stillness  of  the  evening, 
the  works  and  duties  of  the  day  again  per- 
formed, the  interesting  group  would  come 
around  the  altar  again  to  render  praise,  and  to 
commend  themselves  to  the  protecting  care  of 
Him  who  never  slumbers  nor  sleeps.  Each 
day  they  would  go   forth  to  its  duties   and 


122  DESIRABLENESS   OF    KEVIVALS.- 

trials  consecrated  by  the  morning  offering  of 
praise  and  prayer  under  the  protection  of  the 
unslumbering  eye  of  God,  in  each  scene  of 
sorrow  or  night  of  calamity  they  would  bow 
submissively  to  his  will.  Children  would  be 
taught  'y  taught  in  proper  human  learning ;. 
taught  the  Bible ;  taught  the  ways  of  virtue^ 
religion,  temperance,  purity,  and  industry  j 
taught  to  fear  the  name  of  God,  to  hate  a  lie^ 
to  prepare  for  an  hor^prable  career  in  the  va- 
rious walks  of  life.  The  Sabbath  would  re- 
turn to  bless  each  house  hold  with  its  influences 
of  mercy  ;  and  the  sanctuary  would  deepen 
the  lessons  of  family  instruction ;  and  the 
universal  rest  from  toil  would  be  a  sweet  type 
of  the  heaAenly  world.  Temperance  would 
be  promoted  ;  and  the  fountains  of  poison  that 
now  flow  every  where  to  corrupt  and  destroy, 
would  be  closed  for  ever.  The  houses  of  pol- 
lution and  infamy  would  no  more  open  to 
allure  and  decoy  the  young  to  death  ;  and 
their  inmates,  made  living  and  pure  members 
of  the  body  of  Christ,  would  be  preparing  to 
walk  before  him  in  white  robes  in  heaven. 
The  theatre  would  no  more  open  its  doors  to 
invite  the  young,  the  stranger,   and  the  de- 


I»ESIRABLEN£SS    OF     REVIVALS.  123 

fenceless  to  forget  a  father's  prayers  and  a 
mother's  counsels,  and  to  become  the  com- 
panion of  the  unprmcipled  and  the  vile.  So- 
ber industry  Avould  take  the  place  of  idleness  ; 
chastity  the  place  of  impurity ;  hope  would 
irradiate  the  countenance  where  now  sits  va- 
cancy or  despair  ;  intelligence  would  take  the 
place  of  ignorance  ;  plenty  and  comfort  would 
succeed  to  want ;  decency  of  apparel  to 
penury  and  rags  ;  beauty  and  health  would  re- 
visit the  countenance  now  bloated  and  hag- 
gard ;  and  peace,  the  heart  that  now  hath  wo 
and  sorrow  from  intemperance  ;  thought — 
sober,  rich,  pure,  heavenly  thought, — would 
succeed  to  gayety  ;  honesty  to  fraud ;  integ- 
rity to  baseness ;  universal  charity  to  suspi- 
cion, inuendo,  and  slander  ;  and  a  disposition 
to  do  good  to  all,  and  to  spread  the  Gospel 
around  the  world  with  all  its  healing  influen- 
ces, would  succeed  the  disposition  to  spend 
the  wealth  which  God  gives  in  the  scenes  of 
dissipation,  revelry  and  sin.  Talent  that  now 
is  wasted  and  blasted  by  sensuality,  or  per- 
verted by  ambition  ;  genius  whose  fires  are 
now  kindled,  and  which  now  burn  for  nought, 
.would  be  converted  to  noble  purposes.     That 


124"  DSSIRABLENESS   OF    REVrVALS. 

vi^or  of  frame  which  is  now  wasted  in  scenes 
of  dissipation,  would  prepare  itself  to  brave 
the  snows  of  the  north  or  the  j-ands  of  the 
equator,  in  making  known  a  Saviour's  love  j 
and  from- lips  whexe  now  heavy  curses  roll,  the 
Gospel  would  soon  whisper  peace. 

Meantime  a  revival  of  religion  would  de- 
stroy or  injure  nothing  that  is  truly  valuable, 
It  would  not  interfere  with  one  rational  enjoy- 
ment. It  would  not  close  one  school.  It 
would  not  diiuinish  the  interest  in  an  orphan 
asylum,  a  hospital,  a  college,  a  charitable  en- 
dowment, but  would  augment  the  interest  in 
all.  It  Avould  moor  no  ship  to  the  wharf;  ar- 
rest no  car,  and  no  steam-boat, — except  on  the 
Sabbath  ;  and  stay  none  of  the  wheels  of  com- 
merce or  of  honorable  and  honest  enterprise, 

In  one  word,  '  a  reformation  extending  ta 
every  house  in  the  city  would  be  the  noblest 
sight  the  lover  of  humanity  ever  saw.  The 
reign  of  vice  which  now  regards  no  limit,  but 
throws  its  malign  influence  within  every  en- 
closure, would  on  all  sides  be  curtailed.  The 
liorrid  clang  of  profaneness,  the  bloated  fea- 
tures of  dissipation,  the  haggard  spectacle  of 
prostitution,  the    inanity  of  vicious  idleness. 


Di:siRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  1'25 

^he  menace  of  unbridled  passion,  of  delibe- 
rate revenge,  curtained  behind  human  features, 
and  heard  remote,  sometimes  lik«  thunders  on 
the  bosom  of  darkness — in  short,  the  conflicts 
of  interest,  the  wiles  of  dishonesty,  the  deep- 
laid  snares  of  covetousness,'  Avhich  now  meet 
us  on  every  hand,  would  disappear.  Two 
hundred  thousand  immortal  beings,  a  large 
portion  of  whom  are  now  pressing  hard  on 
each  other  in  the  broad  and  much'trodden 
way  to  death,  now  with  conflicting  interests 
and  agitated  passions,  would  at  once  com- 
mence the  march  to  immortality.  Hand  in 
hand,  with  peaceful  step  and  tranquil  heart, — 
with  many  songs  of  praise  and  many  players, 
— they  would  tread  along  the  banks  of  the 
river  of  life,  calm  in  view  of  the  shadoAvy  vale 
of  death ;  elevated  witli  the  hope  of  immortal 
peace. 

Our  main  inquiry  now  returns.  Would 
such  a  work  of  grace  be  desirable  in  a  city 
like  this,  or  in  any  or  all  of  the  cities  of  our 
land  V  In  answer  to  this  inquiry, 

(1.)  I  suggest,  first,  the  influence  on  a 
city  or  the  country  at  large.  I  need  not  at- 
tempt* to  prove  that  that  influence  is  vast.     In 


126  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

all  that  pertains  to  fashion,  to  literature,  to 
morals,  to  religion,  the  influence  of  a  city  is 
incalculable.  A  large  part  of  the  fashions  of 
the  land,  embracing  a  great  many  questions 
about  economy  and  the  proper  modes  and  ob- 
jects of  life,  and  about  honesty^  too,  in  con- 
tracting and  paying  debts,  are  controlled  by 
cities.  Paris,  on  one  subject,  has  given  law 
to  the  most  of  Europe  and  of  the  world  ;  and 
this  city  influences  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
immortal  beings,  either  direcsly  or  indirectly, 
in  the  same  manner.  Say  what  we  will,  a 
large  portion  of  mankind  is  guided  by  what 
is  implied  by  the  wovdfashion.  Who  can  es- 
timate the  importance,  therefore,  of  such  an 
influence  of  religion  as  shall  eiTectually  check 
extravagauGe  of  life,  and  turn  the  thoughts  of 
men  to  the  sober  objects  for  which  they  should 
live  1  On  the  literature  of  a  people,  no  less 
than  on  its  fashions,  cities  give  law  exten- 
sively. A  large  portion  of  the  light  reading 
of  the  world  is  formed,  first,  for  the  inhabi- 
tants of  cities,  and  then  for  those  portions  of 
the  country  that  can  be  made  to  imitate  them. 
From  cities,  as  from  centres  goes  forth  that 
vast  amount  of  romance  and  poetry  which  is 


DESIRABLKNESS   OF    REVIVALS.  1^27 

doing  so  much  to  undermine  all  just  morality 
in  this  nation,  and  to  destroy  the  souls  of 
men.  The  prevalence  of  pure  Christianity  in 
our  cities,  pervading  all  hearts,  V\'oulcI  arrest 
to  a  great  extent  this  influence,  and  turn  the 
attention  of  men  to  subjects  more  worthy  of 
their  immotal  nature^  The  power  of  the 
newspaper  press  in  cities  is  felt  also  through' 
out  the  land.  It  gives  tone  and  character  to 
thousands  of  presses  in  the  smaller  towns  and 
villages.  Who  can  estimate  the  effect  that 
would  be  produced,  if  there  was  such  a  reli- 
gious influence  in  cities  as  should  make  those 
fountains  always  pure  I  Such  it  would  be,  if 
the  sentiments  of  the  community  were  right  ; 
and  one  general  revival  of  religion  in  our  cities 
that  should  secure  such  an  influence  on  the 
press  as  should  close  every  newspaper  estab- 
lishment on  the  Sabbath ;  as  should  exclude 
all  commendation  of  the  theatre,  and  as 
should  banish  every  advertisement  and  senti- 
ment, such  as  a  christian  father  would  be  un- 
willing his  sons  or  daughters  should  read, 
would  send  an  influence  throughout  the  land. 
I  need  not  say  that  the  influence  of  a  city 
is  direct,  and  almost  omnipotent  on  a  large 
"■  12 


128  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

circle  of  surrounding  villages.  Could  the 
mighty  population,  which,  in  the  summer 
months,  is  poured  out  from  our  cities  on  the 
Sabbath  by  steam-boats,  and  cars,  and  other 
vehicles,  be  restrained  by  the  influence  of  re- 
ligion ;  could  they  be  induced  to  enter  the 
sanctuary  themselves,  and  spend  the  day  in 
the  worship  of  God,  what  a  change  would  be 
produced  at  once  in  a  wide  circle  of  towns 
around  us !  How  peaceful  to  them  would 
the  Sabbath  become  1  What  a  corrupting  in- 
fluence would  be  at  once  withdrawn  !  Then, 
indeed,  a  village  near  a  city  would  not  be  re- 
garded as  necessarily  accursed.  Then  it 
would  not  have  occasion  to  complain  of  the 
obvious  injustice  done  by  its  overgrown  neigh- 
bor, in  pouring  forth  its  legions  of  the  profane, 
the  unprincipled  and  the  intemperate,  to  dis- 
turb the  peace  and  corrupt  the  morals  of 
others. 

I  observed,  also,  before,  that  in  a  large  city 
almost  every  portion  of  the  land  has  its  repre- 
sentatives. From  all  parts  of  the  couutry  and 
the  world  they  come  for  business  or  for  plea- 
sure. Who  can  calculate  what  would  be  the 
influence  of  a  general  revival  of  religion  in 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  129 

those  minds,  and  on  the  portions  of  the  land 
from  whence  they  came  1  The  revival  in  Je- 
rusalem on  the  day  of  Pentecost  was  felt  al- 
most immediately  in  all  parts  of  the  then  known 
world,  by  the  return  of  the  "  strangers"  who 
were  converted  there.  There  is  scarcely  one 
nook  or  corner  of  our  vast  republic  that  would 
not  be  influenced  by  such  a  work  of  grace. 
Cities  in  a  nation  are  like  the  heart  in  man. 
Each  stroke  at  the  centre  of  life  sends  out 
influences  for  good  or  evil  to  the  extremities, 
and  is  felt  with  healthful  or  dstructive  influ- 
ence there.  I  need  not  add,  if  this  be  so, 
how  responsible  is  the  work  of  christian  min- 
istry here !  how  solemn  the  obligations  of 
every  member  of  the  church  of  Christ ! 

II.  A  second  consideration  to  which  I  refer, 
is  the  worth  of  the  souls  of  the  multitudes 
congregated  in  cities.  I  by  no  means  mean 
to  be  understood  as  saying  that  a  soul  is  of 
more  value  here  than  elsewhere  ;  of  any  more 
worth  in  the  most  splendid  mansion  than  in 
the  humblest  abode  of  the  poor.  But  what  1 
wish  to  say  is,  that  we  may  be  more  deep- 
ly affected    with    their    value  :    we    may  be- 


130  DESIRABLENESS    OF    RFV'n'ALS. 

come  more  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
their  danger.  The  scene  itself  is  more  im- 
pressive :  the  events  that  are  passing  daily 
before  the  eyes  arc  better  adapted  to  affect 
the  heart.  Immortal  beings  are  crowded  to- 
gether ;  the  busjr,  thoughtless  multitude  is 
constantly  moving  on  before  the  eyes.  The 
dense  throng  is  passing  by,  regardless  of  ad- 
monition, and  deaf  to  entreaty  and  to  warn- 
ing. A  man  travelling  over  an  uncultivated 
prairie,  or  a  waste  of  sands,  might  meet  here 
and  there,  at  far  distant  intervals,  a  stranger — 
and  then  pass  on  again  amidst  the  lonely 
wastes.  There  would  be  little  to  rouse  the 
mind  in  regard  to  the  necessity  of  a  mighty 
heavenly  influence  on  the  soul  of  the  solitary 
man ;  and  if  he  Avere  disposed  to  present  to 
him  the  subject  of  religion,  there  would  be 
nothing  in  the  circumstances  to  crowd  it  from 
the  mind.  But  when  a  city  is  entered,  how 
different  is  the  scene  !  I  look  out  of  mj'  win- 
dow, and  the  dense  throng  of  rJl  ages  and 
conditions  rashes  on.  Strangers  to  me  and 
to  each  other,  they  are  moving  on,  an  unbro- 
ken procession  all  the  day  to  eternity.  I  pass 
by  the    door  of  a  theatre,  and  hundreds  of 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  131 

immortal  beings,  thoughtless  and  unconcerned 
about  the  future,  are  leaving  the  place  of 
amusement  and  corruption.  I  go  into  the 
marts  of  business,  and  there  is  a  dense  and 
jostling  crowd  anxious  only  for  gain.  I  think 
of  the  brilliant  party,  and  of  the  assembly- 
room,  and  there  is  another  throng  "  with  steps 
light  and  airy  as  the  footsteps  of  Aurora," 
not  less  regardless  of  their  immortal  destiny. 
I  think  of  the  glitter  of  dress  there,  and  the 
splendor  of  apartments,  and  the  charms  of 
music,  and  the  brilliancy  of  wit,  and  the  grace 
fulness  of  the  dance,  and  all  these  are  uncon- 
cerned about  their  undying  doom.  I  think  of 
the  low  places  of  sensuality  and  wretched- 
ness ;  of  beastly  intemperance,  and  of  degra- 
ding vice,  and  there  is  another  group  equally 
regardless  of  their  immortal  destiny.  Wherev- 
er you  go,  a  dense  throng  surrounds  you — a 
busy,  active,  restless,  unhappy,  dissatisfied 
multitude  ;  a  vast  procession  going  to  the 
grave — all  under  sentence  of  death — all  sin- 
ners— all  exposed  to  the  eternal  wrath  of  God. 
Each  one  of  them  has  a  soul  whose  value  no 
numbers  can  compute  ;  a  soul  of  more  worth 
than  all  the  riches  which  commercial  talent, 
12* 


132  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

all  combined,  lias  ever  gtiiacd  or  ever  can  gain 
in  this  city,  and  which  shall  live  in  bliss  or 
in  woe  when  all  that  wealth  shall  be  forgot- 
ten. Of  their  high  powers,  of  their  immortal 
destiny,  of  what  God  the  Saviour  has  done 
for  them,  they  are  unconscious  ;  or  if  they 
are  conscious,  they  disregard  it  all.  They 
are  living  for  other  objects ;  and  their  atten- 
tion can  by  no  human  means  be  turned  to  the 
subject  of  their  own  soul's  salvation. 

Now  it  is  not  madness  to  ask  where  they 
will  be  a  thousand  years  hence ;  nor  to  in- 
quire what  is  probably  to  be  their  doom  \  In- 
fidelity may  sneer  at  such  a  suggestion  5  and 
stupidity  may  laugh  ;  but  a  heathen  monarch 
wept  at  the  thought  that  his  army,  the  great- 
est that  had  been  ever  raised,  would  be  dead 
in  a  hundred  years;  and  a  greater  than  any 
heathen  monarch  wept  over  the  destiny  of  a 
great  and  guilty  population  passing  on  like 
this  to  the  bar  of  God.  All  the  great  inter- 
ests of  this  thoughtless  throng  lie  beyond  the 
tomb.  If  they  have  none  there,  their  life  is  a 
bubble,  a  vapor,  a  gorgeous  illusion,  a  chang- 
ing cloud,  a  mist  on  the  mountain  side.  All 
in  which  they  are  now  so  busy  is  soon  to  van- 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    KEVIVALS.  133 

isli  away.  Whether  they  are  rich  or  poor, 
honored  or  despised,  bond  or  free,  caressed 
or  hatred,  can  make  no  difference  with  them, 
in  a  few  years,  Wliether  there  is  an  eternity 
or  not,  these  things  are  of  trifling  importance. 
How  soon  is  the  most  exquisite  earthly  pleas- 
ure passed !  The  charm  of  the  sweetest  mel- 
ody, how  soon  it  dies  away  on  the  ear !  The 
tenderest  ties  of  friendship,  how  soon  are 
they  severed!  The  most  princely  wealth, 
how  soon  must  it  be  left!  The  widest  repu- 
tation, how  soon  must  we  cease  to  enjoy  it  ! 
And  so  with  the  bitterest  grief,  the  keenest 
sorrow,  the  most  agonizing  pain,  how  soon  is 
it  gone !  And  of  what  real  importance  are 
all  these  to  the  throng  that  is  seeking  them  as 
the  grand  business  of  life  1  The  vapor  that 
you  see  in  tiie  morning  as  it  lies  on  the  moun- 
tain side,  of  what  importance  can  it  be  whether 
it  be  admired  by  a  few  more  or  a  few  less  mor- 
tals, or  whether  it  roll  a  little  higher  or  a  little 
lower,  since  it  will  soon  vanish  in  the  beams  of 
the  morning  sun  1  So  of  the  vapor  of  life.  Soon 
is  it  gone  ;  and  another  generation  shall  suc- 
ceed ;  as  to-morrow  another  short-lived  mist 
shall   be    seen,    where  to-day   that   vanished 


134  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

away.  The  cloud  that  you  see  lie  along  the 
western  sky  as  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  hills 
in  a  summer's  eve,  so  gorgeous,  so  changing, 
so  beautiful,  so  lighted  up  witli  ever-varying 
richness  of  hue  by  the  lightning  of  the  sum- 
mer eve,  of  what  importance  is  it  whether  a 
few  more  or  less  tints  be  painted  on  it,  or 
whether  a  few  more  or  a  few  less  eyes  gaze 
upon  it,  for  the  darkness  of  midnight  will 
soon  conceal  it  all.  The  insects  that  you  see 
flutter  in  the  evening  rays,  so  happy,  so  calm, 
so  still,  so  graceful  in  their  motions,  are  mo- 
ving with  the  shades  of  night  to  be  seen  no 
more.  So  move  on  the  dense,  the  busy  mul- 
titudes of  this  city !  And  I  was  about  to  say, 
O  that  they  were,  like  that  vapor,  to  vanish 
for  ever ;  or  that  gorgeous  cloud,  to  sink  un- 
consciously into  night ;  or  the  insects  of  the 
evening,  to  live  no  more  !  But  it  is  not  so. 
That  vapor  vanishes,  and  is  not  seen  again. 
That  changing  cloud  is  dissipated,  and  the 
tiny  nations  die,  not  to  live  again.  But  not 
so  with  the  multitudes  here.  To  the  shades 
of  the  night  of  death  they  move  on,  but  they 
emerge  in  an  immortal  existence  beyond ; 
and  all  their  srreat  interests  are  there.    There 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  135 

they  begin  to  live.  There  they  will  live  on 
when  stars  and  suns  cease  to  shine,  and  when 
rocks  fall  to  dust,  and  mountains  melt  away  ; 
when  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a 
scroll,  and  when  the  throne  of  God  occupied 
by  the  dread  Eternal  King,  shall  be  revealed. 
Yes,  thoughtless  trifler,  yes,  as  long  as  God  is 
to  endure  you  are  to  live  ;  and  as  sure  as  it  is 
that  God  himself  shall  never  die,  so  sure  it  is 
that  your  soul  shall  never  cease  to  exist. 

Now  who  can  say  that  it  would  be  irration- 
al or  undesirable  that  all  this  multitude  should 
be  simultaneously  impressed  with  the  impor- 
tance of  religion  and  the  worth  of  the  soul  % 
Suppose  it  should  be  attended  with  a  tempo- 
rary suspension  of  the  business,  or  with  a 
permanent  suspension  of  what  now  consti- 
tutes the  main  pleasures  of  this  life.  Is  it  to 
be  deemed  fanatical  that  the  affairs  of  this 
life  should  be  allowed  to  give  way,  for  a  little 
Avhile,  for  the  more  important  things  of  anoth- 
er world  %  Is  this  world  of  darkness  and  of 
sin  so  vastly  important  that  none  of  its  affairs 
are  ever  to  be  suspended  for  the  purposes  of 
another  world  1  Is  the  struggle  for  place, 
and  pojver,  and  wealth  never  to  be  arrested  to 


13G  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS. 

attend  to  more  important  interests'?  I  do  not 
believe  that  a  general  revival  of  religion  in 
our  cities  -would  interfere  really  with  any- 
thing necessary  to  their  prosperity,  or  would 
cause  even  a  temporary  suspension  of  any 
thing  truly  valuable  to  the  welfare  of  society. 
But  if  it  did,  shall  man  say  that  these  things 
are  never  to  be  suspended  to  attend  to  more 
important  concerns '?  Not  thus  determines  the 
great  Law-giver  of  men,  and  the  best  judge  of 
what  is  needful  for  human  welfare.  If  his 
judgment  were  followed,  and  his  counsel  and 
command  obeyed,  all  labor  would  be  suspen- 
ded for  one  day  in  seven.  The  counting- 
room,  the  assemblj^-room,  the  places  of  amuse- 
ment every  where  would  be  closed ;  the 
steam-boat,  the  car,  the  stage-coach,  would 
stand  still ;  the  axe,  the  hammer,  and  the 
chisel  would  be  laid  aside  ;  and  the  world, 
calm  and  peaceful  like  Eden,  would  give  itself 
to  the  labors  of  charity,  and  to  a  preparation 
for  heaven.  Does  God  never  arrest  the  ac- 
tive movements  of  the  world  in  any  other 
way  1  What  does  he  when  the  stout  man  is 
laid  on  a  bed  of  pain"?  "What  means  the 
scene  when  all  his  worldly  plans  are  arrested, 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  137 

and  he  is  pale  in  deaths  The  truth  is,  if 
man's  great  interests  are  beyond  the  tomb, 
no  law  of  propriety  is  violated  if  these  great 
interests  are  allowed  to  press  upon  the  soul, 
and  even  to  arrest,  if  need  be,  his  incessant 
care  for  worldly  gain  and  for  fame. 

But  there  would  be  excitement,  it  may  be 
said,  if  this  great  multitude  were  to  attend  to 
the  subject  of 'religion,  and  if  there  were  a 
a  general  revival.  There  are  excitements,  it 
is  said,  in  all  revivals.  But,  I  pray  you,  is 
there  no  excitement  in  these  cities  now  1 
From  whence  comes  the  objection  that  revi- 
vals are  mere  scenes  of  excitement?  From 
that  man  excited  throughout  the  whole  week 
in  pursuit  of  gain— feverish  and  restless,  and 
unacquainted  for  one  whole  hour  at  a  time 
with  calm  thought  and  repose  ;  from  that  man 
whose  life  is  spent  in  the  whirlwind  of  politi- 
cal controversy  or  in  the  career  of  ambition ; 
from  that  calm  and  interesting  group  prepar- 
ing for  the  splendid  party  and  the  dance.  O 
thei'e  all  is  calm  and  serene ;  but  in  religion 
all  is  excitement  and  commotion !  Well  may 
this  objection  be  heard  from  the  excited,  agi- 
tated, tumultuoiis  population  of  a  city  ;  a  po- 


138  DESIRABLENESS    OF    REUIVALS. 

pulation  more  than  any  other  on  earth  living 
in  scenes  of  excitement ;  unhappy  when  they 
are  not  excited;  fostering  every  where  the 
means  of  excitement ;  and  resisting  all  the 
means  which  the  friends  of  religion  can  use 
to  bring  them  to  sober  thought  and  calm  re- 
flection. What  we  aim  at  is  that  this  excite- 
ment may  be  laid  aside,  and  that  the  now  busy 
multitude  may  be  brought  to  think  soberly 
about  the  immortal  destiny  beyond  the  tomb. 
We  aim  that  they  may  lay  down  the  exciting 
romance  or  novel,  and  take  up  the  Bible— full 
of  sober  truth ;  that  they  may  forsake  the 
theatre — a  place  of  mere  excitement,  and  find 
happiness  in  the  calmness  of  the  closet,  and 
the  sober  employments  of  the  fire-side  ;  that 
may  turn  away  from  the  agitating  scenes  of 
political  strife,  and  from  the  exciting  of  envy, 
and  malice,  and  green-eyed  jealousy,  and  am- 
bition, and  from  the  intoxicating  bowl  and  the 
dance  of  pleasure,  and  devote  themselves  to 
the  sober  business  of  religion.  Excitement, 
say  j'ou,  in  a  revival !  O,  if  Clirist  required 
me  to  endeavor  to  produce  such  an  excite- 
ment in  a  revival  as  I  see  every  day  in  this 
city  J  if    he    required  that    men  ehould  give 


DESIRABLENESS    OF   REVIVALS.  ISSf 

themselves  up  to  the  mere  influence  of  feelmg, 
and  day-dreams,  and  agitating  passions,  and 
unfounded  hopes,  as  they  are  required  to  by 
the  world  ;  I  should  expect  to  hear  the  objec- 
tion that  it  was  all  mere  excitement,  and  that 
such  a  work  could  not  be  the  woi'k  of  God. 
But  no.  I  plead  for  soberness  of  thought ; 
for  calm  investigation  ;  for  a  state  of  mind 
where  every  improper  emotion  may  be  allayed, 
and  where  the  soul  may  be  brought  to  look 
calmly  and  soberly  at  the  great  realities  of 
eternity.  Do  I  address  one  here  who  does  not 
know  that  such  sober  feeling  would  become 
the  condition  of  man,  and  that  it  is  desirable 
that  such  deep  emotion  should  take  the  place 
of  the  agitated  and  tumultuous  feelings  which 
reign  in  a  great  community  like  this  ] 

III.  A  revival  of  religion  is  desirable  in  cities 
in  order  to  avert  the  wrath  of  God  and  save 
them  from  the  judgments  of  heaven.  Evils 
pour  into  our  great  cities  like  floods  from  all 
quarters  of  the  world  ;  and  who  can  be  igno- 
rant of  the  doom  of  cities  in  times  past  1  It 
has  been  on  cities  that  the  most  fearful  of  all 
the  plagues  of  heaven  have  fallen ;  and  not  a 
few  dilapidated  walls,  or  half  ruined  temples 
IS 


140  DESIRABtENfiSS    -OF     RKVIVAL9. 

stand  now  amidst  far  extended  ruins  as  monu- 
ments of  the  wrath  of  heaven.  Not  a  few 
have  been  blotted  out,  and  the  places  where 
they  stood  mnde  pools  of  water  m-  iminhabi- 
table  deserts,  by  the  vengeance  of  heaven. 
Who  can  forget  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  or 
Babylon,  or  Tyre,  or  Thebes,  or  Memphis,  or 
Petra  1  And  who  can  be  ignorant  of  the  de- 
solations by  plague  and  the  pestilence  that 
have  s\\'ept  through  these  abodes  of  congre- 
gated human  guilt  1  The  reason  has  been  that 
God  could  smite  many  guilty  there  while  few 
of  the  innocent  would  sufler.  All  over  the 
world  the  principal  monuments  of  the  divine 
vengeance  have  been  cities  and  large  towns. 
Long  may  the  walls  of  a  city  stand,  but  death 
shall  have  done  its  last  work  within ;  long 
may  temples,  like  that  at  Baalbec,  stand,  while 
all  the  worshippers,  long  since  smitten  by  the 
wrath  of  God,  may  sleep  with  the  dead  ;  long 
may  a  city  be  marked  out  and  distinguished 
hy  its  ruins  and  its  sepulchres,  like  Petra, 
"without  a  solitary  living  inhabitant,  a  city  of 
the  dead.  All  over  the  ancient  world  the 
plains  are  strewed  Avith  the  ruins  of  cities,  the 
monuments  of  indignant  heaven  against  their 


DESIK.ABLENE.SS     OF     KEVIVALS.  14*1 

follies,  their  pride,  their  luxiuy,  and  their 
sensuality. 

We  know  what  would  have  saved  them. 
Ten  righteous  men  would  have  saved  one  of 
the  v/orst  of  them.  Ninevah  was  saved  by- 
repentance  ;  Babylon  might  have  been  spared 
if  she  had  humbled  herself;  and  Jerusalem 
would  have  been  saved  if  she  had  not  cruci- 
fied the  Son  of  God.  Religion  promoting  to 
temperance,  and  industry,  and  chastity,  and 
honesty  and  prayer,  would  have  saved'  Baby- 
lon, and  Tadmor,  and  Tyre,  and  Ephesus,  and 
Alexandria,  and  Athens ;  and,  occupying  as 
they  did  the  most  elligible  situations  on  earth 
for  commerce,  they  might  to-day  have  been 
splendid  cities  smiling-  under  the  favor  of  the 
Almighty. 

And  what  can  save  the  cities  of  our  land  1 
The  same  thing  only  that  would  have  saved 
Gomorrah  and  Babylon.  Let  us  not  dream 
that  they  are  beyond  the  wrath  of  God.  Let 
us  not  suppose  that  the  eyes  of  God  are  closed 
on  the  enormous  masses  of  guilt  in  these 
abodes  of  congregated  sinners.  Babylon  was 
once  as  secure  as  we  are,  and  as  confident  of 
her  future  glory  as  we  can.  be  of  the  pros- 
perity of  this  beautiful  city. 


142  DESIRABLENESS    OF     REVIVALS. 

The  iiihabilanls  of  Rome  once  breathed  as 
pure  an  air  as  we  do,  and  Tyre  commanded 
as  wide  a  commerce  as  any  se;i-port  in  our 
land.  The  God  who  turned  Babylon  into 
standing  pools  and  made  wild  beasts  cry  in 
her  desolate  houses,  and  satyrs  dance  tliere, 
(Isa.  xiii:  21,  22,)  and  who  has  caused  the 
malaria  to  settle  around  Rome,  spreading 
death  on  the  once  healthful  plains  of  Italy, 
and  has  made  Tyre  a  barren  rock  where  the 
solitary  fisherman  dries  his  net,  can  as  easily 
destroy  our  commerce,  or  fill  our  streets  with 
pestilential  air.  Have  our  aged  men  forgot- 
ten the  sad  desolations  of  1793,  when  the 
angel  of  death  walked  through  tliese  streets 
as  he  did  once  in  the  camp  of  Sennacherib  ? 
Have  we  ceased  to  remember  the  scenes  iu 
1832,  when  tho  pestilence  that  walketh  in 
darkness  and  the  destruction  that  wasteth  at 
noon-day  spread  a  universal  gloom  over  this 
city  %  How  easy  for  that  God  to  visit  us 
again ! 

IV.  I  refer  to  one  other  consideration,  show- 
ing the  desirableness  of  revi^^als  of  religion  in 
the  cities  of  our  land.  1  refer  to  their  in- 
fluence on  future  times.  The  question  whether 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  14^3 

revivals  of  religion  may  exist  there,  and  in 
what  way  they  may  be  promoted,  is  of  not  less 
importance  than  any  other  which  pertains  to 
the  welfare  of  our  nation.  Look  over  the 
map  of  our  country.  Only  about  two  hundred 
years  have  elapsed  since  the  foot  of  the  pil- 
grim first  trod  these  western  shores.  Then  a 
vast  interminable  forest  spread  its  shades  all 
over  this  land — broken  in  upon  only  by  the 
prairies  or  the  lakes  that  opened  their  bosom 
to  the  sun,  or  by  the  floods  that  rolled  on  to  the 
ocean.  There  the  sound  of  the  woodman's 
axe  had  not  been  heard.  The  vast  solitude 
had  been  disturbed  only  by  the  savage  war- 
cry.  Not  a  bridge  was  thrown  over  the 
streams ;  not  a  road  penetrated  the  deep 
forest ;  not  a  sail  whitened  these  bays  and 
seas  ;  not  a  boat  save  the  fragile  bark  of  birch, 
was  upon  the  waters  ;  not  a  city  sent  its  hum 
up  to  heaven;  not  a  village,  save  the  tempo- 
rary abodes  of  wandering  savages,  was  on  the 
vast  landscape.  Two  centuries  have  gone, 
and  how  changed  the  scene !  Our  cities  al- 
ready rival  those  of  the  old  world  ;  and  when 
some  half  a  dozen  on  other  continents  are 
named,  ours  come  next  in  the  numbers  of 
*13 


144  DESIRABLENESS    OF    KEVIVALS. 

their  population,  and  are  already  amoug  tlie 
first  ill  commercial  importance.  As  if  by  ma- 
gic they  start  up  all  over  the  land  ;  and  even 
while  the  remains  of  the  forest  stand  around 
them  palaces  rise,  and  wealth  flows  there  as 
to  a  centre,  and  the  din  of  commerce  is  heard 
afar. 

Can  any  one  fail  to  see  in  this  fact  the  ne- 
cessity of  revivals  of  religion  in  those  cities  \ 
How  else  shall  it  be  propagated,  but  by  that 
rapid  mode  where  the  Spirt  of  God  bears  the 
truth  to  the  hearts  of  multitudes,  and  turns 
them  simultaneously  to  God  \  They  are  adapt- 
ed to  the  excited  and  ardent  movement  every 
where  manifested  in  our  land.  All  in  those  cities 
is  free,  and  generous,  and  active,  and  mighty. 
There  is  an  energy  and  zeal  in  the  afTairs  of 
the  world,  which  is  fitted  to  make  men  great 
and  glorious  in  religion  as  in  commerce. 
There  is  an  ardor  that  needs  only  to  be  di- 
rected to  the  concerns  of  the  soul,  to  be 
adapted  to  the  times  in  which  we  live,  and  to 
the  great  enterprise  of  the  conversion  of  the 
world. 

What  vast  multitudes  are  yet  to  swarm  in 
those    cities!    What   countless  numbers  are 


DESIEABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS,  145' 

there  to  live  and  to  die  !  How  soon  will  the 
present  busy  generation  be  gone,  to  give  place 
to  another  as  busy,  as  active,  as  immortal ! 
What  is  be  the  doom  of  the  advancing  mil- 
lions 1  That  inquiry  is  to  be  answered  in  part 
by  the  character  of  the  present  generation, 
and  by  the  answer  to  the  question,  whether 
the  Spirit  of  God  shall  descend  in  glorious  re- 
vivals of  religion.  In  these  streets  other  ge- 
nerations are  to  tread — as  busy  as  we  are. 
They  will  occupy  the  stores  which  you  now 
occupy;  dwell  in  the  houses  where  you  now 
dwell — until  the  time  shall  come  for  them  to 
pull  down  those  houses  and  stores,  and  to 
build  new  ones  for  other  generations  to  come. 
They  will  moor  their  vessels  to  the  same 
wharfs — until  those  vessels  shall  be  useless, 
and  shall  give  place  to  others.  They  will  go 
forth  and  look  upon  our  graves  ;  read  the  let- 
fers  on  our  tombs  until  they  become  illegible  : 
and  then  they  will  lie  down  in  the  grave,  to  be 
superseded,  and  in  their  turn,  too,  to  be  for- 
gotten. Unless  some  judgment  is  stirred  up 
in  heaven,  '  red  with  vmcommon  wrath,'  that 
shall  sweep  this  city  Avith  the  besom  of  de- 
struction, more  millions  by   far  may  yet  live 


14(3  DESIRABLENESS    OK    KKVIVALS. 

here  than  now  comprise  the  whole  iiihabitaDts 
of  our  country.  We  are  just  beginning  our 
career.  The  cities  of  our  land  arc  just  start- 
ing into  being.  In  the  far  distant  future  1  see 
the  shadowy  fornas  of  advancing  millions  of 
men.  They  are  coming  to  enter  into  our 
houses,  and  churches,  and  stores,  and  to  re- 
ceive their  impressions  from  what  they  shall 
find  tliere  Avhcn  they  arrive. 

Now  Avhat  I  wish  to  say  is,  that  these  cities 
can  be  saved  from  being  corrupting  spots ; 
concentrated  pests  in  our  land,  only  by  the 
influence  of  religion  ;  and  religion  now.  Tell 
me,  ye  who  doubt  this,  whether  pow6r  and 
wealth  saved  Babylon  and  Rome.  Tell  me, 
whether  the  ship  laden  with  gold  and  the  mer- 
chandise of  the  East  saved  Tyre.  Tell  me 
whether  philosophy  and  learning  saved  the 
cities  of  Greece  and  Egypt.  Tell  me  whether 
the  chisel  of  Phidias  and  Praxiteles  saved 
Athens.  Tell  me  whether  the  Colisaeum  saved 
Rome,  or  its  splendid  marble  structures  saved 
Corinth.  O  no, — not  one  of  them:  nor  will 
colleges,  or  schools,  or  marble  palaces,  or 
fountains  or  luxury,  or  wealth  save  one  of  the 
cities  of  our  land.     Without  religion  they  will 


DESIRABLENESS    OF    REVIVALS.  147 

lie  as  corrupt  and  corrupting  masses  on  the 
bosom  of  the  nation,  till  heaven  can  bear  it  no 
longer  ;  and  then  they  will  be  swept  with  the 
vengeance  of  an  offended  God.  Religion,  re- 
ligion only — the  pure  religion  of  the  cross — 
descending  like  floods,  and  flovvring  like  rivers, 
only  can  save  these  cities  from  destruction.. 
When  we  think  of  these  things ;  when  we 
look  over  the  numbers  of  the  cities  of  our 
land  j^  when  we  remember  their  accumulating 
guilt ;  when  we  look  onward  to  future  times, 
and  see  what  they  are  destined  yet  to  be,  and 
backward  and  see  the  memorials  of  wrath 
standing  thick  where  cities  once  stood  on  the 
plains  of  the  old  world,  how  appropriate  the 
petition  of  our  text, '  O  Lord,  revive  thy  work, 

IN  THE  MIDST  OF  THE  YEARS,  IN  THE  MIDST 
OF  THE  YEARS  MAKE  KNOWN  ;  IN  WRATH  RE- 
MEMBER   MERCY  !' 


SERMON    V  . 

THE    IlINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS    THERE. 

"^  And  when  he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the 
city  and  wept  over  it,  saying,  If  thou  hadst 
known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the 
things  which  belong  to  thy  peace.''  Luke, 
xix :  41,  42. 

*  0  Jerusalem  !  Jerusalem  I  thou  that  killest 
the  prophets,  and  stonest  them  which  are  sent 
unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth 
her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 

not .''  Matt,  xxiii :  37. 

What  tender  and  affectionate  language  is 
tliis!  What  love  and  compassion  are  here 
evinced !  What  a  scene  is  here  presented  !  The 


{flNDERANCES    TO    REVfVALS.  1451 

Son  of  God  in  tears  !  The  Eedemer  weeping 
in  view  of  the  impending  doom  of  a  great 
and  guilty  city  !  Why  were  those  tears  %  And 
why  these  expressions  of  love  and  tender- 
ness 1  It  is  not  difficult  to  answer  the  ques- 
tions. In  no  situation  can  we  well  conceive 
of  more  emotions  crowding  into  a  human 
bosom  than  struggled  in  the  heart  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  that  constrained  him  to  weep. 
Before  him  was  the  capital  of  the  nation  ;  the 
temple  was  standing  with  rich  magificence  ; 
the  altar  of  sacrifice;  the  place  were  the 
praises  of  Jehovah  had  been  celebrated  for 
ages.  In  that  city  he  had  preached  the  Gos- 
pel, and  called  the  inhabitants  to  embrace-  him 
as  the  Messiah — but  in  vain.  There  he 
sought  to  turn  them  to  God,  and  thus  to  avert 
the  heavy  doom  impending  ov6r  them  for 
their  sins.  But  all  in  vain.  He  had  been 
there  rejected,  his  ministry  despised,  and 
his  claims  set  at  nought ;  and  he  saw  that 
there  the  great  act  of  national  ci'ime,  which 
outpeers  all  other  deeds  of  guilt,  Avas  about 
to  be  perpetrated — by  his  own  murder ;  and 
that  for  these  things  the  city  was  to  be  filled 
soon  with  wo,  and    blood,  and   horror ;  the 


150  1IINDERANCE6    TO    REVIVALS. 

temple  fired  and  razed  to  its  foundations ;  the 
impohing  rites  of  religion  to  cease  ;  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  and  the  land  that  should 
survive  the  siege  to  be  borne  into  captivity,  or 
scattered  to  the  ends  of  the  wor'd,  to  be  re- 
gathered  to  the  land  of  their  farthers  no 
more.  Ivlore  than  this,  he  saw  heavy  judg- 
ments impending  over  them  as  sinners ;  and 
the  fearful  doom  awaiting  the  rejecters  of  the 
Son  of  God  in  the  future  world.  For  these 
things  his  eyes  run  down  with  tears ;  and  of 
all  the  scenes  of  moral  grandeur  ever  wit- 
nessed in  this  world,  none  have  equalled  that 
when  the  Son  of  God,  seated  on  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  cast  his  eyes  over  the  city  spread 
out  before  him,  and  gave  vent  to  his  feeling 
in  a  flood  of  tears. 

1  see  no  reason  to  doubt  that,  if  he  were 
again  on  earth  he  would  evince  the  same  feel- 
ings in  surveying  the  great  cities  that  now 
exist.  I  doubt  not  that  in  Paris,  in  London, 
in  Canton,  in  New  York,  in  Philadelphia,  in 
Baltimore,  in  Cincinnati,  he  would  see  much 
that  would  peculiarly  excite  to  tears.  I  do 
not  see  why  Jerusalem  was  so  pre-eminent 
-either  in  numbers,  in  wickedness,   or  in  the 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  151 

approaching  doom  of  its  inhabitants,  as  to 
claim  exclusively  the  compassion  and  call  forth 
the  tears  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  same  thing 
substantially  will  be  found  to  exist  in  all  these 
cities  as  in  Jerusalem  ;  the  same  combined 
resistance  of  himself  and  his  Gospel ;  the 
same  concentrated  wickedness;  the  same  ac- 
cumulation of  vice,  licentiousness,  pride,  and 
sensuality  :  and  the  same  awful  doom  impen- 
ding over  the  congregated  masses  of  guilt. 
07ie  reason  of  his  weeping  then  was,  that 
his  Gospel  had  been  there  so  unsuccessful. 
He  had  preached  in  Galilee  ;  he  had  trod  the 
shore  of  the  lake  of  Gennesareth;  he  had 
proclaimed  his  message  in  numerous  country 
villages^  and  among  the  hamlets  of  the  poor, 
with  eminent  success.  But  in  the  great  tOAvns, 
in  Capernaum,  in  Berthsaida,  in  Chorazin,  and 
pre-eminently  in  Jerusalem,  he  had  met  with 
peculiar  obstacles  to  the  success  of  the  Gos- 
pel ;  and  which  in  one  case  called  forth  the 
heaviest  denunciations  which  ever  fell  from 
his  lips  :  '  Wo  unto  thee,  Chorazin  ;  Wo  unto 
thee,  Bethsaida  ;'  and  which  in  the  other  ex- 
cited him  now  to  tears  ! 

I  derive  from  the  text  the  sentiment  that 
14 


152  HINDEKANCES    TO    BEVIVALS. 

Christ  found  peculiar  obstacles  to  the  recep- 
tion of  his  Gospel  in  cities  and  large  towns  ; 
and  my  object  al  this  time  is  to  show  what 
some  of  those  obstacles  arc.  My  last  Lecture 
was  on  the  importance  of  revivals  of  religion 
in  cities  and  large  towns.  The  present  Lec- 
ture will  be  a  continuation  of  the  same  sub- 
ject in  general,  or  another  aspect  of  it,  by 
showing  the  peculiar  hinderances  to  religion 
existing  there,  and  hence  the  importance  and 
necessity  of  kevivals  to  meet  and  overcome 
those  hinderances. 

I.  I  invite  your  attention,  in  the  first  place, 
to  the  obstacles  to  revivals  arising  from  the 
very  constitution  or  organization  of  cities  and 
large  towns.  The  idea  which  I  wish  to  pre- 
sent is,  that  there  is  a  large  portion  of  the 
population  that  is  almost  entirely  inaccessible 
by  the  Gospel,  or  designedly  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  ordinary  means  of  grace. 

'  God  made  the  country,  and  man  made  the 
towni,'  said  the  sweetest  of  British  bards, 
though  in  this  case  with  perhaps  rather  more 
truth  than  poetic  beautj'.  Christ  found,  as 
has  already  been  observed,  a  coimtry  and  a 
village    population  accessible    to  the  Gospel, 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS,  153 

and  the  triumphs  of  his  personal  ministry  were 
mainly  there.  There  are  few,  comparatively, 
of  very  elevated  rank  there;  few  in  affluence. 
There  are  fewer  low  and  debasing  vices  ;  few 
comparatively  of  the  more  fascinating  allure- 
ments; few  extended  and  compacted  combin- 
ations of  guilt  ;  few  to  whom  and  to  whose 
dwellings  those  who  are  disposed  to  do  good 
may  not  find  a  welcome  and  ready  access. 

But  the  moment  you  enter  a  city,  with  all 
its  external  beauty  and  splendor  ;  with  all  its 
courtesy  and  refinement ;  with  all  its  science 
and  art ;  nay,  with  all  its  healthful  institutions 
of  morality  and  religion,  you  are  struck  with 
the  almost  entire  exclusion  of  the  extremes  of 
the  population  from  all  access  by  the  Gospel 
and  the  means  of  grace.  On  the  one  hand 
there  is  that  vast  portion  of  a  city  population 
which  may  be  regarded  as  the  lower  stratum 
of  society — I  mean  that  dense  and  dark  mass, 
the  population  of  alleys,  and  cellars,  and  gar- 
rets— the  ignorant,  the  degraded,  the  grossly 
sensual,  the  idle,  the  worthless — the  refuse 
of  society,  and  '  the  ofFscouring  of  the  world,' 
always  existing  in  a  city,  though  often  con- 
cealed from  the  stranger,  and  whose  existence 


IS^  IIINDERANCES    TO    KEVIVALS. 

is  disregarded,  or  whose  condition  is  un- 
known, by  that  half  of  the  race  who  '  know 
not  how  the  other  half  lives,'  Could  the  veil 
be  suddenly  lifted  from  the  crime  and  abom- 
ination, the  degraded  vices  and  the  low  scenes 
of  guilt  and  profligacy  with  which  even  a  city 
like  this  abounds,  and  could  we  see  it  as  the 
All  seeing  Eye  sees  it,  we  should  start  back 
with  horror,  familiar  as  we  in  some  degree  be- 
come with  it.  Let  an  individual  go  at  leisure 
through  our  streets,  and  lanes,  and  alleys ;  let 
him  go  to  the  foul  retreats  of  drunkenness, 
gluttony,  and  pollution ;  let  him  look  on  the 
wretches  burrowed  in  these  foul  recesses  j  let 
him  look  at  the  houses  of  infamy,  and  see  the 
thousands  that  visit  those  houses — they  alike 
with  their  inmates  inaccessible  to  all  the 
means  of  salvation,  and  with  consciences 
'  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,' — and  he  will  have 
some  idea  of  the  obstacles  which  stand  in  the 
way  of  revivals  of  religion  in  cities.  Let 
him  think  of  the  criminals  which  throng  our 
courts  and  crowd  our  prisons  ;  the  paupers  in 
our  alms-houses,  most  of  them  made  such  by 
intemperance ;  the  beggars  patrolling  our 
streets,  whose  story  is,  in  general,  but  a  veil 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  155 

to  their  faults  ;  but  most  of  all,  of  that  numer- 
ous banditti  of  thieves,  robbers,  swindlers, 
pilferers,  incendiaries,  burglars,  and  ruffians, 
whose  concealment  from  the  public  eye  alone 
prevents  alarm — the  thousands,  and  perhaps 
tens  of  thousands,  who  arc  here  congregated 
and  and  affiliated  in  various  Avays  in  infamy 
and  crime,  and  he  will  be  at  no  loss  to  under- 
stand some  of  the  obstacles  which  exist  here 
to  the  spread  of  all  religion,  and  especially  to 
revivals. 

A  very  large  portion  of  this  class  is  inac- 
cessible by  any  means  which  are  used,  or 
which  can  be  at  present  used,  to  spread 
among  them  the  gospel.  They  enter  no 
church  from  year  to  year.  Many  an  individ- 
ual has  lived  more  than  twenty  years  in  this 
city  and  never  entered  a  place  of  public  w^or- 
ship.  Multitudes  of  them  have  no  Bible  ;  or 
if  they  had,  they  could  not  read  it,  or  v/ould 
immediately  pawn  it  to  procure  the  means  of 
intoxication.  Multitudes  of  them  spurn  a 
tract,  or  if  they  did  not,  it  would  be  useless 
to  them.  Multitudes  of  them  study  conceal- 
ment ;  practise  crimes  which  cannot  be  ex- 
posed to  the  light  of  day  ;  and  alike  shrink 
14* 


156  inNDERA>'CKS    TO    REVIVALS. 

away  from  a  police-officer  and  from  a  minister 
of  religion. 

But  I  wish  especially  to  remark,  not  on 
their  inaccessibility,  but  on  the  fact  that  they 
are  not  in  a  condition  where  revivals  of  reli- 
gion can  be  expected,  such  as  I  am  advoca- 
ting, and  such  as  have  hitherto,  in  general, 
blessed  this  land.  The  most  powerful  revi- 
vals of  religion  in  this  country  have  occurred 
in  those  places  where  the  mass  of  the  people 
are  the  best  educated,  and  where  they  are 
most  sober  in  their  lives,  most  virtuous  and 
industrious,  and  regular  in  their  attendance 
on  the  house  of  God.  But  this  has  not  been 
the  general  character  of  revivals  in  this  land. 
They  have  been  the  fruits  of  sound  instruc- 
tion, and  of  a  careful  training  in  common- 
schools  and  in  Sabbath-schools ;  they  have 
occurred  where  the  Gospel  has  been  long  and 
faithfully  preached,  and  those  who  have  been 
converted  have  been  usually  those  whose 
minds  have  been  most  sedulously  taught  by 
the  labors  of  the  ministry ;  they  have  occur- 
red eminently  in  our  colleges  and  higher  fe- 
male sminaries — places  far  removed  from 
mere  enthusiasm,  and  places  where  God  has 


HIA'DERANCES    TO    REVIVALS-  157 

made  intellectual  culture  contribute  to  the 
purity  and  power  of  revivals.  But  how  dif- 
ferent all  this  from  the  wretched,  untaught, 
and  degraded  population  of  our  cities  !  Even, 
therefore,  if  we  had  access  to  this  immense 
mass  5  if  we  had  ministers  enough  to  go  to 
them  and  preach  ;  or  if  every  christian  should 
become  a  missionary  to  them,  and  bear  the 
tidings  of  salvation,  their  very  ignorance  and 
degradation  would  oppose  a  most  formidable 
barrier  to  pure  revivals  of  religion.  That 
dark  mass  must  be  elevated  5  these  hordes  of 
wandering  and  wretched  children  must  be 
gathered  into  schools  and  taught ;  these  foun- 
tains of  poison,  now  pouring  desolation  and 
wo  into  so  many  dwellings,  must  be  closed ; 
the  Bible  must  be  placed  in  these  houses,  and 
the  inmates  taught  to  read  it ;  and  a  long  pro- 
cess of  most  self  denying  instruction  must  be 
gone  into,  before,  in  our  cities,  there  will  be 
witnessed  the  revivals  of  purity  and  power 
which  have  so  abundantly  blessed  the  smaller 
towns  and  the  villages  of  our  land. 

I  have  spoken  of  the  low  and  degraded  part 
of  our  population  as  opposing  one  obstacle  to 
revivals.     This  is  one  extreine.      And  here  is 


158  iriNDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS. 

one  great  department  of  christian  effort  where 
all  our  prayers  and  all  our  self-denials  are  de- 
manded. 

But  there  is  another  class  at  the  other  ex- 
treme of  society,  in  our  cities,  that  is  not  less 
inaccessible  by  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  It  is 
that  great  department  '  far  above  these  auge- 
an  stables  of  sin  and  pain,  which  no  Hercule- 
an labor  can  cleanse,  but  connected  with  it  by 
innumerable  doors  and  headlong  steps.  This 
region  appears  brilliant  and  fair  ;  its  precincts 
resound  with  hilarity,  music,  and  songs ;  and 
it  contains  thousands  of  the  opulent,  the  fash- 
ionable, and  the  gay  ;  vice  is  clad  in  splendor 
here  and  a  spirit  reigns  which  knows  no  mor- 
al law  but  inclination  and  recognizes  no  god 
but  pleasure.'  For  guilt  often  treads  flowery 
paths,  and  goes  up  the  heights  of  honor  and 
ambition.  It  reclines  on  a  couch  of  ease  ; 
rests  on  a  bed  of  down  ;  puts  on  robes  of 
adorning;  is  seen  in  the  joj'ousness  of  the 
mazy  dance  ;  and  moves  amidst  the  civilities 
and  courtesies  of  refined  life.  For  this  class 
distant  climes  pour  in  their  luxuries ;  the 
theatre  opens  its  doors ;  splendid  mansions 
rise — the  cost  of  tens  of  thousands  of  dollars 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  159 

— with  gorgeous  decorations,  to  furnish  pla- 
ces for  dances  and  revelry ;  for  this  class  art 
is  exhausted ;  night  becomes  more  brilliant 
than  day:  and  the  cup  of  pleasure  is  drunk 
deep  and  long,  and  music  lavishes  her  charms 
to  give  pleasure  to  the  ear  and  joy  to  the 
heart.  In  such  circles  we  look  in  vain  for 
prayer ;  for  the  serious  reading  of  the  Bible  ; 
for  an  anxious  concern  for  the  soul ;  for  a 
humble  and  penitent  sitting  at  the  feet  of  the 
Redeemer.  And  we  look  as  really  in  vain 
there  for  solid  happiness.  What  are  often  the 
characteristics  of  such  circles  1  It  is  a  world 
of  splendor  without  enjoyment ;  of  profess- 
ions without  sincerity ;  of  flattery  wdthout 
heart ;  of  gayety  which  mocks  the  real  feel- 
ings of  the  soul ;  and  of  smiles  when  the 
heart  is  full  of  envy  and  chagrin  ;  a  cup  of 
hilarity  whose  dregs  are  wormwood  and  gall ; 
scenes  of  momentary  pleasure  to  be  succeed- 
ed by  long  nights  of  painful  reminiscenes  and 
by  despair.  There  is  '  restless  pride  without 
gratification ;  ostentation  without  motive  or 
reward  ;  ceremony  Avithout  comfort ;  laugh- 
ter without  joy ;  smiles  which  conceal  ran- 
cor ;  vociferous  praise  alloyed  with  envy,  and 


160  hindera:  cEs  oi    revivals. 

dying  away  with  the  wliispers  of  calumny  ;' 
and  compliance  with  the  laws  of  fashion 
which  are  hated  ;  and  a  servitude  to  customs 
where  the  chains  cat  deep  into  the  flesh. 
Think  you  that  these  people,  '  whose  every 
step  appears  light  and  airy  as  the  radiant 
footstep  of  Aurora, — whose  very  form  and 
features  are  luminous  Avith  contentment  and 
hope,'  are  happy  ^  Do  they  live  on  in  a  con- 
tinual round  of  unmingled  enjoyment  1  No. 
The  immortal  mind  is  not  thus  made.  The 
brilliance  of  these  things  strikes  the  eye,  but 
conveys  no  pleasure  to  the  heart ;  and  in  the 
very  midst  of  all  this  external  show  and  glit- 
ter, the  conscience,  true  to  itself  and  to  God, 
may  be  uttering  the  language  of  rebuke,  and 
the  recollection  of  all  this  folly  may  bathe 
the  cheek  and  the  pillow  in  tears. 

But  my  principal  object  is  not  to  remark  on 
the  folly  of  these  scenes :  for,  so  far  as  their 
fellow-mortals  are  concerned,  men  and  wo- 
men have  a  right  to  spend  their  money  and 
be  as  foolish  as  they  please  ;  nor  do  I  wish  to 
remark  on  the  hollowness  of  all  this,  and  its 
destitution  of  happiness,  but  on  the  fact  that 
it  stands  in  the  way  of  revivals,    and   of  reli- 


HIINDERAKCES    TO    REVIVALS.  161 

gion,  in  all  forms.  Unlike  the  other  descrip- 
tion of  the  population  of  a  city  already  ad- 
verted to,  in  most  respects  they  are  like  them 
in  this.  Thousands  of  them  aro  as  ignorant 
of  the  Gospel-as  they  are.  The  Bible  is  in- 
deed in  their  habitations,  but  it  is  not  read  ;  not 
because  they  cannot  read  it,  but  because  they 
will  not.  They  enter  no  sanctuary  ;  and  no 
one  bears  the  Gospel  to  them. 

A  nominal  connection  may  be  held  with 
some  christian  congregation  to  secure  some 
right  of  burial — for  there  is  some  thinking 
about  death  as  a  matter  in  which  property  is 
involved — but  they  are  strangers  to  the  house 
of  God.  Many  a  splendid  mansion  in  this 
city  is  tenanted  by  those  who  enter  no  house 
of  worship.  And  Avho  carries  the  Gospel  to 
them  %  Who  tells  them  that  they  have  a  soul '? 
Who  reminds  them  that  they  are  going  to  the 
judgment-bar,  or  to  hell  1  Alas  !  the  messen- 
ger that  bears  the  Tract  to  the  humble  man- 
sion of  the  poor,  is  often  turned  rudely  away 
from  the  splendid  abode  of  the  rich.  The 
minister  of  religion  goes  not  there  ;  for  to  do 
it  would  be  to  violate  a  law  of  etiquette,  Avhich, 
as  a  stranger,  he  may  not  disregaird  ;  or,  if  he 


162  IIINDERANCES    OF    REVTVALS. 

goes,  daunted,  it  may  be,  by  wealth,  and 
splendid  furniture,  and  rank,  and  perhaps  by 
high  intellectual  endowment,  he  seeks  to  re- 
lieve his  conscience:  by  some  time-serving 
message  ;  speaks,  if  at  all,  in  flattering  ac- 
cents of  the  cross,  and  would  quail  before  an 
anticpated  frown  or  rebuke,  should  he  faith- 
fully speak  of  sin  and  of  the  judgement  to 
come.  In  scenes  like  these,  too,  who  looks 
for  friendship  for  revivals  of  religion  1  Who 
is  disappointed  to  find  them  regarded  there  as 
wildfire,  fanaticism,  and  disorder  1.  In  the 
character,  therefore,  the  habits,  the  manners, 
the  inaccessibility  of  these  large  classes  of  a 
city  population,  is  found  the  first  obstacle  to 
revivals  of  religion  in  a  city,  and  is  an  obsta- 
cle which  nothing  but  the  mighty  power  of 
God  can  overcome. 

11.  A  second  great  hinderance  to  revivals, 
growing  out  of  the  nature  of  a  city  organiza- 
tion, arises  from  what  may  properly  be  cal- 
led the  want  of  sympathy,  or  common  ties  in 
such  a  community.  It  strikes  a  stranger  as 
singular,  that  people  separated  only  by  the 
wall  of  a  dwelling  should  be  strangers  to  each 
other  ;  and  that  in  a  dense  and  crowded  popu- 


IIINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  163 

.ation  there  should  not  be  the  strongest  con- 
ceivable ties  binding  together  man  and  man. 
Yet  the  estrangement  and  want  of  acquain- 
tance are  familiar;  and  it  would  not  be  diffi- 
cult to  explain  it ;  but  the  fact  itself  is  all  that 
is  needful  to  our  purpose  now.  All  know  that 
neicrhbors  are  often  strangers  ;  and  that  the 
mere  fact  of  worshipping  in  the  same  church 
edifice,  or  of  sitting  down  at  the  table  of  the 
same  Master,  does  not  of  necessity  produce 
acquaintanceship,  and  create  bonds  of  sympa- 
thy and  love.  Almost  unavoidably,  diflerent 
ranks  of  life,  even  in  the  church,  keep  sepa- 
rate from  each  other  ;  often  there  is  a  melan- 
choly coldness  and  distance  that  is  chilling  to 
a  stranger,  or  to  a  warm-hearted  christian  ; 
and  while  there  may  be,  and  usually  is  no 
bad  feeling,  and  no  root  of  bitterness,  yet 
there  is  the  want  of  that  intimate  acquain- 
tanceship, and  that  strong  common  sympathy 
which  Christ  contemplated  when  he  prayed 
for  his  disciples  '  that  they  all  might  be  one,' 
and  of  that  actual  and  active  love  which  he 
contemplated  when  he  commanded  them  to 
'  love  one  another,  as  the  Father  had  loved 
him,'  and  which  was  so  striking  among  the 
15 


164  HINDERANCES    TO    HEVIVALS, 

early  christians  when  the  hcathfii  persecutors 
were  constrained  to  say,  '  IJehold  how  these 
christians  love  one  another  !' 

Now  revivals  of  religion  are  not  caused  by 
mere  sympathy  ;  but,  as  1  have  endeavored  in 
a  former  Lecture  to  sho\v,  they  call  into  ac- 
tion some  of  the  most  powerful  and  pervading 
sympathies  of  our  nature.  They  are  closely 
connected  with  the  fact  that  God  has  grouped 
men  together  into  families,  circles  of  friend- 
ship, neighborhoods,  and  churches.  They  are 
intimately  connected  with  the  fact,  that  when 
one  part  of  the  social  circle  is  afTected,  either 
by  joy  or  grief,  the  emotion  kindles  from  heart 
to  heart,  and  family  to  family,  and  circle  to 
circle,  until  the  whole  community  is  pervaded 
by  a  common  feeling.  And  where  in  a  com- 
munity there  are,  if  1  may  so  speak,  indepen- 
dent strata  of  society.,  it  often  happens  in  a 
revival  that  one  is  aflected  and  not  another  ; 
Avhere  all  have  common  sympathies  and  feel- 
ings, all  partake  of  the  common  emotion. 
That  this  should  be  found  in  a  country  popu- 
lation Avhere  men  are,  in  general,  on  the  same 
level ;  where  every  man  knows  his  neighbor, 
and  is  accustomed  to  sympathize  in  all  his 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS,  165 

Avants,  and  Avoes,  and  joys  ;  where  difference 
of  rank  never  separates  them  ;  and  where  the 
joy  of  conversion  will  strike  a  responsive 
cord  throughout  the  community,  is  not  to  be 
Avondered  at.  That  such  might  not  be  the 
case  in  the  population  of  a  city,  and  especially 
in  a  city  church,  I  shall  not  deny.  I  speak 
only  of  the  fact  as  it  actually  exists. 

I  can  never,  AA'hile  '  life,  and  breath,  and  be- 
ing last,  or  immortality  endures,'  forget  the 
time  Avhen  God  Avas  pleased  to  bless  my  labors 
in  a  most  remarkable  and  extensive  revival  of 
religion  in  a  large  country  congregation.  1 
had  at  its  commencement  some  five  hundred 
members  of  the  church,  and  near  five  hundred 
families  that  Avere  nominally  connected  Avith 
my  charge,  coveringaregionof  country  nearly 
texi  miles  in  diameter.  For  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years  the  Gospel  had  been  faithfully 
preached  there,  and  Avdth  eminent  success. 
Revival  after  revival  had  croA\med  those  la- 
bors ;  and  since  the  days  Avhen  God  so  bles- 
sed this  land  under  the  ministry  of  Whitefield 
EdAA'ards,  and  the  Tennants,  scarce  ten  years 
had  elapsed  in  Avhich  there  had  not  been  a 
revival  there.     At  the  time  I  speak  of,  a  simul- 


1G6  III.NDI-KANCES    TO    KEVIVALS. 

tancous  impression  was  produced,  under  tho 
ordinary  preaching  of  the  Gospel.  There 
was  an  unusual  spirit  of  prayer ;  a  deep 
anxicly  on  the  part  alike  of  the  pastor  and  of 
the  church  members  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

The  emotions  deepened,  until  the  heart  be- 
came full ;  and  all  in  the  community  were 
willing  to  converse  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
Scenes  of  amusement  and  pastime  gradually 
gave  way  to  the  deep  business  of  religion;  no 
voice  was  raised  in  opposition  ;  no  noise,  no 
disorder  characterized  the  places  where  men 
had  assembled  to  ponder  ihe  great  question  of 
their  salvation.  On  all  the  community  an 
influence  had  come  down  silent  as  the  sun- 
beams, and  gentle  and  refreshing  as  the  dews 
of  heaven.  There  was  deep  sympathy  in  all 
that  community  ;  a  calm,  subdued,  serious  and 
holy  spirit  of  conversation,  which  showed 
that  the  '  God  of  peace'  was  there. 

Who  can  doubt  that  if  such  a  power  were 
to  descend  on  the  population  that  occupies  the 
same  extent  of  territory  here  ; — if  the  same 
heavenly  influence  should  pervade  the  two 
hundred  thousand  here  that  pervaded  the  com- 
paratively   few   hundreds   there ;  and    if   the 


HINDERANCES    TO    KEVIVALS.  167 

same  deep  enquiry  were  to  exist  here  on  the 
topics  pertaining  to  our  eternal  welfare  ; — if 
the  effects  were  to  be  seen  in  closing  the 
places  of  sinful  amusement,  in  directing  the 
steps  of  the  guilty  to  the  house  of  God,  and  in 
bringing  out  the  lost  and  loathsome  victims 
of  crime,  and  lust  and  disease,  to  the  light  of 
heavenly  day ;  and  in  filling  the  mansions  of 
the  rich  and  the  gay  with  the  sweet  peace  of 
religion,  and  of  holy  com'n^iunion  with  God, 
who  can  doubt  that  such  a  scene  would  be  in 
accordance  with  man's  exalted  nature,  and 
would  be  a  spectacle  on  which  hovering  an- 
gels would  look  with  wonder,  gratitude,  and 
joy  1  But  alas  !  tens  of  thousands  here  are 
far  away  from  any  such  heavenly  influence  ; 
thovisands  sneer  at  the  name  of  revivals,  and 
perhaps  some  hundreds  of  professed  chris- 
tians would  have  no  sympathy  in  such  a  Avork 
of  grace. 

III.  I  mention  as  a  third  obstacle  resulting 
from  the  nature  of  a  city  organization,  the 
fact  that  wickedness  is  concentrated,  orga- 
nized, and  embodied  there.  If  there  is  any 
peculiar  guilt  on  earth,  it  will  be  found  there. 

If  there  is  any  that  can  exist  only  by  com- 
15* 


168  niNDER^NCES    TO    REVIVALS. 

bination  and  alliance  ;  any  that  depends  on  con- 
federacy and  organization  ;  any  that  shrinks 
from  the  light  of  day,  it  would  be  found  in 
the  large  capitals  of  the  world.  If  there  is 
any  crime  peculiarly  dark,  deep,  oflcnsive, 
loathsome  in  the  sight  of  heaven,  it  will  be 
found  in  such  places.  If  Satan  has  any  strong 
holds  which  he  fortifies  with  peculiar  care, 
and  guards  M-ith  peculiar  vigilance,  they  are 
the  large  cities  of  the  world.  In  all  ages  they 
have  constituted,  as  they  do  now,  the  princi- 
pal obstructions  to  the  spread  of  religion  ;  and 
many,  many  a  city  has  been  doomed  to  de- 
struction by  God  on  account  of  its  consum- 
mate wickedness,  and  because  there  was  no 
other  way  to  maintain  his  religion  here  below, 
than  to  sweep  it  with  the  besom  of  his  wrath. 
So  it  was  Avith  the  cities  of  the  plain — in  the 
time  of  Abraham  the  principal  barriers  to  the 
progress  of  righteousnes,  and  the  very  sewers 
of  iniquity.  So  it  was  with  Babylon — the 
proud  oppressor — doomed  to  ruin  irretrieva- 
ble and  eternal,  on  account  of  its  pride,  cru- 
elty, and  oppositioi>  'to  God.  So,  as  has  al- 
ready been  remarked,  Christ  found  the  princi- 
pal obstruction  to  his  preaching  in  Chorazin, 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  169 

in  Bethsaida,  in  Capernaum,  and  in  Jerusalem. 
There  was  consummate  wisdom  in  the  plan 
of  the  builders  of  Babel  when  they  said,  '  Go 
to,  let  us  build  us  a  city  and  a  tower,  whose 
top  may  reach  unto  heaven  ;'  (Gen.  xi :  4  ;) 
for  the  very  object  of  building  a  city  was  to 
contravene  the  Divine  purpose,  and  set  God 
at  defiance  ;  as  it  would  seem,  almost,  had  been 
often  the  desisfn  in  the  great  cities  of  the  world. 
Since  that  time,  it  would  almost  seem  as  if 
the  design  for  which  they  had  been  founded 
had  been  to  concentrate  evil,  and  oppose  reli- 
gion on  the  earth.  Tacitus  long  since  de- 
scribed Rome  as  the  colluvies  gentium — the 
sink  of  nations — a  description,  the  truth  of 
which  no  one  will  doubt  who  is  familiar  with 
his  history,  or  that  of  Gibbon.  Dr.  Johnson 
in  a  similar  manner  characterized  London. 

London  !  the  needy  villain's  general  home, 
The  common  sewer  of  Paris  and  of  Rome  I 
With  ea^er  thirst,  by  folly  or  by  fate, 
Slicks  in  the  drc^s  of  each  corrupted  state. 

All  that  at  home  no  more  can  beg  or  steal, 
Or  like  a  gibbet  better  than  a  wheel ; 
HisK'd  from  the  stage,  or  hooted  from  thecourf, 
Their  air,  their  dress,  their  politics  import ; 


170  IIINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS. 

01).stfiuioiis,  aiifiil,  voluble  and  gay, 

On  Britain's  fond  credulities  llicy  [>rey.    London. 

That  beautiful  poet,  too,  who  perhaps  never 
erred  in  describing  the  characters  and  customs 
of  men,  or  of  society — Cowpcr — lias  told  us 
what  a  city  is  in  the  following  lines : 

Thither  flow, 
As  to  a  common  and  most  noisomo  pcwer, 
The  dregs  and  feculence  of  every  land. 
In  cities,  foul  example  in  most  minds 
Begets  its  lik<;ness.     Rank  abundance  breeds 
In  gross  and  pampered  cities  ;  sloth,  and  lust, 
And  wanlonncss,  and  gluttonous  excess. 
In  cities,  vice  is  hidden  with  most  case. 
Or  seen  with  least  reproach  ;  and  virtue,  taught 
By  frequent  lapse,  can  hope  no  triumph  there 
Beyond  the  achievements  of  successful  flight. 
I  do  confess  them  nurseries  of  the  arts, 
In  wliich  they  flourish  most ;   where  in  the  beams 
Of  warm  cncouracemenl,  and  in  the  eye 
Of  public  note,  they  reach  their  perfect  size. 
Sucli  LonJon  is,  by  taste  and  wealth  proclaimed 
The  fairest  capital  of  all  tlic  world, 
By  riot  and  incontinence  the  worst.      Task,  B.  1. 

On  this  fact,  in  regard  to  cities  as  they  have 
always  existed,  it  would  be  needless  here  to 
dwell.     Beautiful    as    they    often    are  ;    rich. 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  171 

splendid,  magnificent ;  the  home  of  refine- 
ment, of  courtesy,  and  accomplishment ;  the 
seats  of  science,  and  the  nurse  of  the  arts  ;  I 
add,  too,  with  thankfulness  to  God,  the  home 
often  of  deep  piety  and  rich  and  liberal-heart- 
ed benevolence ;  yet  they  are  the  home,  also, 
of  every  kind  of  infamy,  of  all  that  is  false 
and  hollow,  and  of  all  that  fascinates,  allures, 
and  corrupts  the  hearts  of  men.  There  are 
fovmd  men  of  all  nations,  colors,  characters, 
opinions.  There  men  of  splendid  talents  live 
to  corrupt  by  their  example  and  their  influ- 
ence ;  there  unbounded  wealth  is  lavished  to 
amuse,  betray,  and  ruin  the  soul ;  there  are 
the  vortices  of  business  and  of  pleasure  that 
engulf  all ;  and  there  are  the  most  degraded 
and  the  worst  forms  of  human  depravity. 

I  speak  here  particularly  of  sins  of  combi- 
nation and  alliance,  of  sins  so  allied  and  inter- 
locked that  nothing  can  meet  and  destroy 
them  but  the  mighty  power  of  God  in  a  revi- 
val of  religion  :  sins  Avhich  stand  peculiarly 
opposed  to  the  prevalence  of  religion.  The 
infidel  in  the  country  village  usually  stands 
almost  alone.  He  may  gather  a  few  disciples  ; 
but  their  character  usually  testifies  to  the  na- 


17'2  HIMDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS. 

ture  of  the  opinions  held,  and  prevents  the 
extension  of  the  evil.  In  this  land,  a  frown- 
ing public  opinion  usually  rests  on  him  and 
his  doctrines.  But  in  this  city,  he  may  make 
as  many  converts  as  he  pleases.  He  may  al- 
ways find  enough  to  gratify  his  vanity  as  a 
leader  ;  always  find  enough  to  enable  him  to 
brave  public  opinion,  and  to  keep  him  in  coun- 
tenance. The  man  of  profaneness  in  the 
country  village  is  usually  almost  alone.  He 
mocks  and  curses  his  Maker  with  few  to 
countenance  him,  and  the  burning  lens  of 
public  indignation  usually  meets  him  where- 
ver lie  goes.  If  he  has  a  few  companions  they 
are  known,  and  their  known  character  is  a 
sort  of  check  on  the  extension  of  the  profane- 
ness. But  not  so  in  the  city.  If  he  chooses 
to  curse  his  Maker,  he  can  do  it  when  he 
pleases,  and  be  sustained  by  as  many  as  he 
chooses.  If  he  prefers  to  do  it  on  the  wharves 
and  in  the  gutters,  he  will  find  enough  there 
to  countenance  him ;  if  he  chooses  to  do  it 
in  the  streets,  alas,  he  may  find  a  patron  every 
where,  and  can  scarce  turn  a  corner  without 
being  greeted  by  a  fellow-laborer  in  the  work 
of  cursing.     If  he  prefers  to  think  that  it  is 


HINDERANCES    TO    KEVIVALS.  173 

an  accomplishment  for  a  gentleman,  he  wilh 
find  gentlemen  enough — so  called, — who  will 
keep  him  in  countenance.  In  the  country- 
village  or  neighborhood  the  licentious  young 
man  is  known.  His  character  is  understood  ; 
and  he  is  usually  a  solitary  monument  of  infa- 
my. There  is  no  organization  for  the  purpo- 
ses of  licentiousness.  The  deed  of  wicked- 
ness is  solitary,  marked,  hated.  But  what 
shall  I  say  of  a  city — of  all  cities  1  Who  can 
guage  this  evil  there,  and  report  to  us  the  es- 
timate 1  Who  can  acquaint  us  with  the  or- 
ganizations designed  to  prevent  impurity  of 
life  and  licentiousness  of  morals'?  Who  can 
take  any  accurate  census  of  the  actual  number 
of  abandoned  femaliss  ;  who  of  this  far  greater 
number  of  abandoned  men — young  and  old 
— who  are  living  in  gross  violation  of  the 
laws  of  heaven  1  Every  great  metropolis  of 
the  world  in  this  respect  bears  a  striking  re- 
semblance, to  Sodom ;  and  it  is  matter  of 
amazement  that  every  great  city  does  not 
meet  its  righteous  doom,  I  might  go  over 
the  whole  catalogue  of  crimes  that  are  marked 
on  the  calendar  of  human  guilt,  and  we  should 
find  them  all  concentrated,  organized,  consol- 


174  iiiNDnnANCF.s  to  revivals, 

idated  in  our  cities  and  large  towns.  There 
foul  and  ofTeusivc  exhalations  rise  from  the 
receptacles  of  human  depravity  ;  there  vol- 
umes of  curses  roll  up  toward  heaven  ;  there 
the  seducer  practises  his  arts  to  inveigle  the 
young ;  there  tens  of  thousands  riot  in  intem- 
perance and  curse  their  j\Iaker ;  there  multi- 
tudes practise  all  arts  of  fraud  and  infamy ; 
and  there  Satan,  knowing  the  power  of  cities 
in  all  the  surrounding  regions,  has  established 
his  strong  holds,  and  fortifies  and  guardes  his 
possessions  with  all  that  skill  and  art  can  do. 

Now,  it  is  not  so  much  to  affirm  that  the 
proportion  of  the  wicked  in  cities  is  greater 
than  in  the  country,  that  1  have  dwelt  on  this 
point;  it  is  to  fix  the  attention  on  two  or 
three  features  of  the  fact  directly  bearing  on 
the  subject  before  us. 

One  is,  that  sin  exists  here  in  combination 
and  alliance.  It  is  not  dissocial  and  solitary. 
It  is  united,  and  interlocked,  and  interwoven 
with  numerous  customs  of  society.  The  point 
of  my  remarks,  therefore,  is,  that  sin  in  cities 
presents  a  solid  front  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
It  is  kept  in  countenance.  It  resists  the  Gos- 
pel, confident  that  it  may  he  resisted.     Hence 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.'  175 

the  necessity  of  revivals  of  religion.  O  what 
shall  ever  meet  and  destroy  this  combined 
and  consolidated  wickedness,  but  the  power 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  on  the  whole 
community  in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  Chris- 
tians, and  inclining  these  ten  thousand  alien- 
ated hearts  to  seriousness  and  to  God! 

Another  feature  is,  that  the  arrangements 
for  sin  in  a  city  peculiarly  contemplate  the 
young.  Well  does  the  enemy  of  God  know 
that  the  church  looks  to  them  for  its  increase. 
Its  hopes  are  these.  Its  prospects  of  purity^ 
fervor,  and  of  the  final  conquest  of  the  world, 
are  these.  Cast  an  eye  now  over  a  city,  and 
ask  for  whom  are  the  institutions  of  sin,  licen- 
tiousness, and  intemperance  designed  ^  Who 
are  to  be  the  victims!  Who  is  to  sustain 
them  ]  Not  much  care  is  shown  to  propitiate 
the  aged.  Age  has  few  passions  that  can  b& 
excited;  and  it  is  either  fixed  in  principle  be- 
yond the  hope  of  being  seduced  to  profligacy, 
or  it  is  already  corrupt  and  ruined.  An  old 
man  must  soon  leave  the  stage  of  action,  and, 
Avhether  virtuous  of  vicious,  his  opinions  can' 
not  long  influence  the  world.  Not  so  the 
young.  There  are  passions  in  youth  that  may 
16 


176  J^INDERA^'CES  TO  REVIVALS. 

easily  be  enkindled ;  there  arc  alluring'  arts 
that  may  readily  be  made  to  decoy  them;  and 
the  wicked  world  looks  to-  them  to  patronize 
and  sustain  them.  Who  is  to  sustain  the 
numberless  dram-shops  licensed  here  under 
the  authority  of  the  laws  in  our  city,  and  to 
license  the  future  drunkards  Avhose  oaths  and 
blasphemy  are  to  roll  up  towards  heaven  1 
Our  sons,  if  ten  thousand  arts  of  the  tempter 
can  break  them  away  from  the  restraints  of 
home,  and  can  neutralize  the  effect  of  Sab- 
bath-school instruction,  and  put  back  parental 
prayers  unheard.  Who  are  to  be  the  patrons 
of  the  theatre  \  Your  sons  and  daughters ; 
and  unless  the  love  of  pleasure  can  be  im- 
planted more  than  the  love  of  God,  soon 
might  their  doors  be  closed,  to  be  opened  no 
more.  Thus  every  vice  looks  to  the  young 
for  patronage;  and  ten  thousand  arts  concen- 
trate their  influence  to  alienate  the  young 
from  God,  and  to  draw  them  down  to  death. 
Another  feature  is  the  ease  with  which  guilt 
here  may  be  concealed.  The  most  powerful 
protection  of  virtue  in  the  country  is  public 
opinion,  and  the  assurance  that  the  guilty 
there  cannot  escape  from  it.  An  eye  of  public 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS.  177 

vigilance  is  on  every  man,  and  his  character 
is  known  and  understood.  Not  so  here.  The 
guilty  may  flee  away  from  every  being  but 
God,  and  practise  his  deeds  of  evil  unknown. 
In  a  cellar,  a  garret,  or  a  palace,  at  his  pleas- 
ure, he  may  hide  himself,  and  who  can  drag 
him  out  to  the  light  of  day  1  What  is  more, 
he  may  so  conceal  his  guilt  that  his  Infamy 
shall  not  be  suspected ;  or  what  is  more  and 
worse  still,  he  may  so  combine  with  others  as 
to  modify  public  opinion,  and  make  virtue 
cease  to  blush  when  she  gives  him  the  hand. 

When  one  looks  on  these  facts  he  will 
cease  to  wonder  that  cities  have  every  where 
presented  formidable  obstacles  to  revivals  of 
religion.  One  question  I  have  to  submit,  in 
conclusion,  to  those  who  bear  the  name  of 
christian.  It  is,  whether  their  hearts  would 
feel  any  joy  at  a  work  of  grace  that  should 
pervade  all  this  population,  and  fill  these 
streets  and  dwellings  with  seriousness  and 
the  fear  of  Godl  A  heathen  monarch  of  a 
much  greater  city  than  tliis,  once  rose  up 
from  his  throne,  and  covered  himself  with 
sack-cloth,  and  was  followed  by  his  court  and 
nobles,  and  by  all  the  people,  in  a  solemn  fast 


178  HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS, 

for  three  days.  Who  adjudges  that  the  bosom 
of  the  king  of  Nineveh  in  this  was  swayed  by 
any  improper  feeling  1  Another  heathen  mon- 
arch, at  the  head  of  two  millions  of  men,  sat 
down  and  wept.  In  an  hundred  years,  said 
he,  all  that  mighty  host  will  be  dead.  The 
vision  of  Xerxes  extended  no  farther.  He  had 
no  tear  to  shed  over  their  doom  beyond  the 
grave.  How  different  that  feeling  from  the 
view  which  excited  the  Redeemer  to  weep ! 
His  tears  fell  because  he  could  see  beyond 
the  tomb;  because  he  saw  the  unending 
career  of  the  never-dying  soul ;  and  knew 
what  it  was  if  the  soul  should  be  lost.  And 
this  multitude  that  we  see  in  this  city;  this 
gay,  busy,  thoughtless,  volatile,  unthinking 
throng  that  sweep  along  these  streets,  or  that 
dwell  in  these  palaces,  or  that  crowd  these 
theatres  or  these  assemblj'-rooms,  where,  O, 
where,  Avill  they  be  in  a  hundred  years  \  Dead ; 
all  dead.  Every  eye  will  have  lost  its  lustre ; 
every  frame  its  vigor;  every  rose  shall  have 
faded  from  the  cheek;  the  charms  of  music 
shall  no  more  entrance  the  ear;  the  fingers 
shall  have  forgotten  the  melody  of  the  lute 
and  the  organ.    Where  will  they  be  ?    In  yon- 


HINDERANCES    TO    REVIVALS,  179 

der  heaven,  or  in  yonder  hell — part,  alas !  how 
small  a  part !  with  ears  attuned  to  sweeter 
sounds,  and  with  eyes  radiant  with  immortal 
brilliancy,  and  with  a  frame  braced  with  the 
vigor  of  never-dying  youth.  Part,  alas  !  how 
large  a  part!  in  that  world,  a  view  of  whose 
imutterable  sufferings  drew  tears  from  the 
eyes  of  the  Son  of  God !  Each  man  that  dares 
to  curse  Jehovah  on  his  throne ;  each  victim 
of  intemperance  and  lust ;  each  wretch  on 
which  the  eye  fastens  in  the  lowest  form  of 
humanity,  has  an  immortal  nature  that  shall 
live  beyond  the  stars,  and  that  shall  survive 
when  '  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled  together  as 
a  scroll!'  The  shadowy  vale  of  death  will 
soon  be  past,  and  the  thoughtless  and  guilty 
throngs  will  be  found  amid  the  severe  and 
awful  scenes  of  eternal  justice!  Christian^ 
pray,  pray,  0  pray  for  a  revival  of  pure  re- 
ligion IN  the  guilty  cities  of  our  land. 
l(i* 


SERMON    VI 


THE    DUTIES    OF    CHRISTIANS    IN    REGARD    TO 
REVIVALS    THERE. 

^  JSI'oiv  while  Paul  waited  for  them  at  Jlthens, 
his  spirit  was  stirred  within  him  when  he  saw 
the  city  wholly  given  to  idolatry.^ — Acts, 
xvii :   16. 

Two  very  opposite  effects  are  produced  on 
different  minds  by  difficulties  and  embarrass- 
ments. One  is  to  dispirit  and  dishearten,  the 
other  is  to  animate  with  augmented  ardor  and 
zeal.  The  former  is  the  effect  produced  on 
the  mass  of  mindj  the  latter  is  that  produced 
on  the  few.  The  multitude  become  intimida- 
ted, and  give  over  effort  as  hopeless  ;  the  few 
who  are  bold  and  resolute,  who  act  from  con- 


BUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  181! 

victions  of  principle  and  conscience,  or  who 
see  a  prize  worth  exertion,  are  stimulated  to 
greater  efforts  by  every  new  difficulty,  and 
develope  resources  of  invention  and  talent  be- 
fore unknown  to  themselves,  and  surprising  to 
their  friends.  This  it  is  to  be  great ;  and  this 
constitutes  the  real  greatness  of  the  few  Avho 
have  deserved  and  received  the  name. 

The  record  of  the  visit  of  the  Apostle  Paul 
at  Athens,  furnishes  an  illustration  of  this 
principle ;  and  I  know  not  that  a  better  one 
can  be  found..  It  was  the  first  time  when  he 
had  been  there  ;  but  not  the  time  when  he  first 
learned  its  fame.  He  himself  had  been  born 
in  a  city  whose  schools  rivalled  those  of 
Athens ;  and  there  is  reason  to  think  that  at 
some  period  of  his  life  he  had  been  familiar 
with  the  more  distinguished  classic  produc- 
tions in  the  Greek  language  ;  and  he  was  cer- 
tainly not  disqualified  for  appreciating  the  elo- 
quence, and  the  elegant  arts  of  that  city. — 
Longinus  thus  speaks  of  Paul :  '  The  following 
men  are  the  boasts  of  all  eloquence,  and  of 
Grecian  genius,  viz :  Demosthenes,  Lysias 
-iEschines,  Hyperides,  Isccus,  Anarchus,  Iso- 
crates,  and   Antiphon,  to  whom  may  be  added 


182  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

Paul  of  Tarsus,^  certainly  qualified  to  appre- 
ciate what  to  a  classic  inind  must  have  been 
interesting,  nay,  almost  entrancing,  in  Athens. 
Her  schools,  licr  academic  groves,  her  won- 
ders of  art,  it  might  have  been  supposed,  would 
have  attracted  the  attention  of  such  a  mind. 
What  an  opportunity  of  examining  for  the 
first,  and  perhaps  the  last  time,  the  immortal 
works  of  Phidias  and  Praxiteles!  What  an 
opportunity  for  mingling  in  the  circles  of  the 
most  refined  society  in  the  world  !  How  vain 
Avould  it  appear  to  be  for  such  a  stranger,  a 
solitary  and  unknovv-n  man,  to  attempt  to  pro- 
duce a  change  in  the  religious  condition  of 
that  city,  or  to  produce  there  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion ! 

The  effect  on  his  mind  of  a  survey  of  the 
state  of  things  there  is  described  in  my  text. 
'  His  spirit  was  stirred  within  him,  when  he 
saw  the  city  wholly  given  to  idolatry.'  The 
spirit  of  Paul  was  roused  here,  as  it  was  every 
where,  by  the  prevalence  of  sin,  and  he  was 
led  to  put  forth  augmented  efforts,  in  view  of 
the  very  difficulties  before  him. 

In  this  instance  we  have  an  illustration  of 
the  feelings  which  a  christian   should  cherish 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  183" 

in  the  midst  of  a  great  city.  They  were  feel- 
ings such  as  Paul  himself  cherished  in  the 
midst  of  gay  and  voluptuous  Corinth,  M'henhe 
resolved  that  he  would  know  nothing  there 
save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  crucified  ; — which 
he  had  in  Ephesus,  where  he  labored  so  assid- 
uously for  the  overthrow  of  idolatry,  and  for 
the  conversion  of  its  multitudes  to  God ;  and 
which  he  had  in  Antioch,  in  Philippi,  and  in 
Rome.  I  wi«h  at  this  time,  from  the  feelings 
thus  manifested  by  Paul,  to  offer  some  remarks 
on  the  duties  of  christians  in  cities  and  large 
towns,  particularly  with  reference  to  revivals 
of  religion ;  and  I  shall  set  my  views  before 
you  in  a  series  of  observations  all  bearing  on 
this  point,  to  show  what  christians  ought  to  do 
to  promote  revivals  of  religion  in  such  places. 
I.  My  first  observation  is,  that  relig'ion  first 
showed  its  power,  and  especially  in  revivals 
of  religion,  in  cities  and  large  towns.  There 
the  Gospel  met  every  form  of  human  wicked- 
ness, and  showed  its  power  to  triumph  over 
all.  In  Jerusalem,  the  seat  of  pharisaical 
pride  and  hypocrisy,  and  of  dependence  on  the 
mere  forms  of  religion ;  in  Antioch,  the  rich 
and  commercial   emporium  of  Syria,  and  the 


181"  ijUties  of  christians. 

seat  of  all  the  affluence  and  luxury  that  com- 
merce produces  ;  in  Ephesus,  the  strongest 
hold  of  idolatry,  and  the  place  to  which  tens 
of  thousands  resorted  to  pay  their  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  the  most  splendid  temple  in  the 
heathen  world  ;  in  Philippi,  long  the  capital 
of  Macedonia,  and  filled  with  all  the  sins  that 
usually  pertain  to  court ;  in  Corinth,  the  most 
gay,  and  voluptuous,  and  sensual,  and  dissipa- 
ted city  of  the  age — the  Paris  of  antiquity ;  and 
in  Rome  itself,  the  capital  of  the  world,  and 
like  London,  the  common  sewer  of  the  nations, 
as  it  was  characterized  by  Tacitus  ;  in  all  these 
places  the  Gospel  showed  its  power,  and 
achieved  its  earliest  triumphs.  In  each  of 
these  flourishing  churches  were  established, 
and  in  each  one,  under  the  apostolic  preaching, 
w^ere  witnessed  all  the  phenomena  that  charac- 
terize religion  now. 

It  must  continue  to  be  so,  till  the  whole  world 
is  converted  to  God.  Cities  are,  and  will  be, 
the  centres  of  moral  power:  and  their  influ- 
ence must  be  felt  over  all  other  portions  of 
the  world.  Missionaries  now  go  to  great  ci- 
ties just  as  the  apostles  did,  and  begin  their 
work  there.     It  is  in  such  places  as  Constan" 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIAKS.  185 

tinople,  and  Jerusalem,  and  Calcutta,  and  Can- 
ton, and  Bankok,  and  Cairo,  that  the  triumphs 
of  the  Gospel  are  expected;  and  to  secure 
such  places  of  influence  is  deemed  as  needful 
as  it  is  for  an  invading  army  to  seize  upon  the 
strong  fortresses  of  aland.  In  our  own  coun- 
try, therefore,  and  in  other  lands,  christians 
are  to  labor  and  pray  now,  as  the  apostles  did, 
for  the  promotion  of  religion  in  cities  and  large 
towns. 

II.  My  second  remark  is,  that  there  is  the 
same  need  of  a  revival  of  pure  religion  in 
these  places,  that  there  was  in  the  cities  that 
were  visited  by  the  apostles,  and  the  same 
things  to  excite  christians  to  effort  for  their 
conversion  which  there  was  then.  Were  Paul 
to  come  now  and  visit  this  city,  or  any  of  the 
great  cities  of  our  land,  as  he  did  Athens, 
Avhat  would  he  find  1  What  honor  would  he 
see  put  on  God  %  What  would  he  see  to  be 
the  great  and  prevalent  object  of  living  1  And 
what,  with  his  recorded  views  of  the  character 
of  men,  and  of  the  final  destiny  of  the  guilty, 
would  he  regard  as  the  doom  of  the  multitudes 
here  '(  We  may  take  this  great  city  as  a  fair 
and  favorable  specimen  of  the  character  of  the 


186  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

cities  of  our  land.  What  would  he  find  here  1 
He  would  find  indeed  no  idols,  and  no  temples 
reared  to  false  gods.  Thanks  to  the  God  of 
our  fathers,  who  directed  hithcrward  the  steps 
of  men  who  feared  his  name,  not  aw  idol  god 
has  been  made,  nor  an  idol  temple  reared, 
since  the  white  man  first  penetrated  the  forests 
of  the  new  world  ;  and  amidst  ail  the  works 
of  art  in  our  cities,  the  chisel  of  the  sculptor 
has  never  been  employed  to  engrave  a  god  of 
stone.  But  in  this  city  he  would  find  more 
than  an  hundred  thousand  people  without  any 
form  or  semblance  of  religion.  They  enter 
no  sanctuary ;  they  worship  no  God,  true  or 
false.  They  have  npt  even  gone  so  far  as  to 
rear,  as  the  Athenians  did,  an  altar  '  to  the  un- 
known God,' — the  unknown  God,  amidst  their 
rabble  of  divinities,  who,  they  supposed,  had 
come  to  save  them  from  the  pestilence.  Along 
these  streets  the  pestilence  has  also  spread, 
perhaps  in  as  frightful  a  form  as  that  described 
by  Thucydides  in  Athens  ;  and  God,  the  true 
God,  has  enterposed  to  save  ,  but  the  multi- 
tude that  were  spared  erected  no  altar  to  their 
unknown  God  to  commemorate  the  event.  He 
might  go  into  some  thousands  of  houses,  and 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  187 

he  would  find  no  shrines,  no  Lares,  no  Penates, 
no  form  or  mode  of  devotion.  He  would  find 
their  inmates  devoted  to  idols,  but  idols  with- 
out temples,  save  the  temple  of  the  heart.  To 
Mammon  or  to  Bacchus  he  might  find  them 
devoted,  with  an  ardor  never  witnessed  at 
Athens  ;  but  to  these  they  have  erected  no  al- 
tars. He  would  find  many  a  splendid  house 
where  dwells  a  whole  family  with  no  form  of 
devotion  ;  Avho  enters  no  sanctuary  ;  who  have 
no  Sabbath  except  for  amusement ;  who  live 
as  though  it  Avere  not  worth  inquiry  or  argu- 
ment whether  there  be  a  God  and  an  eternity. 
He  would  find  many  who  live  to  feast  on  the 
bounties  of  Providence  without  thanksgiving  ; 
who  riot  on  the  verge  of  the  grave  imalarmed ; 
and  who  attend  even  their  departed  friends  to 
the  tomb  with  no  more  personal  anxiety  about 
their  own  preparation  to  die,  than  though  the 
inscription  made  on  the  entrance  to  a  cemetry 
in  the  capital  of  France  during  the  revolution, 
'  Death  is  an  eternal  sleep,'  were  settled  to  be 
the  truth,  and  ought  to  be  inscribed  over  every 
dwelling-place  of  the  dead.  But  are  they 
idolaters  1  As  degrading,  and  often  as  sunken 
as  though  they  worshipped  blocks  of  wood  and 
17 


188  DTTTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

stone,  for  they  fix  on  other  objects  the  affec- 
tion due  to  God.  Many  even  in  tliis  city  liave 
sunk  to  a  depth  of  debasement  to  which  the 
vilest  form  of  idolatry  rarely  consigns  its  vo- 
taries ;  for  even  a  hud  religion  has  some  res- 
traints— irreligion  has  none.  Part  worship 
wealth,  part  fashion  ;  part  do  homage  to  low 
and  debasing  pleasures.  And  amidst  the  idol 
worship  of  Athens  there  was  not  a  more  effec- 
tual exclusion  of  the  true  God  from  the  soul, 
than  there  is  from  the  hearts  and  habitations 
of  tens  of  thousands  in  this  city. 

III.  My  third  remark  is,  that  it  is  chiefly  on 
christians  that  dependence  can  be  placed  to 
rouse  the  great  and  thoughtless  multitudes  of 
a  city  population  to  a  sense  of  their  guilt  and 
danger.  I  say  chiefly ;  for  though  we  may 
hope  something  from  the  effects  of  the  vari- 
ous dispensations  of  Providence  in  afflictions 
in  arousing  men  ;  though  we  may  rely  some- 
what on  the  fact  that  the  consciences  of  men 
may  be  alarmed  in  view  of  their  guilt  and 
danger,  and  in  the  prospect  of  death  ;  though 
we  may  hope  that  thoughtful  inquiry  may  be 
aroused  by  the  Divine  Spirit  in  some  minds 
without  any  visible  means  used ;  and  though 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  189 

(ve  may  hope  that  some  of  the  great  mass  may 
Tom  time  to  time  become  sick  of  the  vain 
.vorld,  and  in  their  disgust  inquire  whether 
ihere  is  not  comfort  to  be  found  in  religion, 
yet  the  main  hope  is,  that  christians  will  use 
their  influence  to  bear  the  truth  to  them,  con- 
vince them  of  their  danger  and  their  folly,  and 
direct  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God.  I  say  chris- 
tians— meaning  to  include  in  this  term  the 
ministers  of  religion — with  all  the  influence 
which  can  be  derived  from  personal  piety, 
learning,  and  eloquence,  and  all  that  can  be 
derived  from  the  respect  which  their  office 
creates ;  other  officers  of  the  churches,  with 
all  the  influence  which  their  office  creates,  and 
with  all  that  their  private  worth  can  add  to 
their  official  influence  ;  Sabbath-school  teach- 
ers, with  all  the  advantages  which  are  furnish- 
ed them  from  their  access  to  the  hearts  of 
large  numbers  of  the  young  ;  christian  parents, 
with  all  that  there  is  of  authority  and  tender- 
ness in  their  relation  to  their  children — all  of 
which  should  be  tributary  to  the  Gospel ; 
christian  physicians,  with  all  the  influence 
which  they  may  have  in  the  houses  of  the  sick 
and  the  dying  5  christian  magistrates,  with  all 


190  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

the  power  of  iheir  office  in  restraining  vice 
and  recomuiending  virtue ;  the  aged  with  their 
ripe  experience,  the  young  with  their  ardor, 
and  the  middle-aged  with  the  maturity  of  their 
judgment ;  man  with  his  energy  and  talent, 
and  w^oman  with  her  patience  and  tenderness 
in  visiting  the  abodes  of  poverty  and  want. 
These  constitute  the  reliance,  under  God,  in 
promoting  religion  among  the  thoughtless 
masses  of  a  city  population.  They  are  the 
enrolled,  the  disciplined,  and  the  officered  ar- 
my which  has  been  appointed  here  to  fight  the 
battles  of  the  Lord.  This  constitutes  the  or- 
ganization for  all  that  is  lovely  and  of  good 
report  against  the  numerous  organizations  for 
evil  in  a  city  like  this :  and  this  is  what  the 
Saviour  relies  on  in  the  great  work  of  secur- 
ing for  himself  those  centres  of  influence  and 
power.  They  can  feel,  and  should  feel  for  the 
condition  of  those  around  them.  They  have 
influence  and  power  given  them  for  this  end 
by  the  Head  of  the  church.  In  Athens,  Paul 
was  probably  the  only  man  who  had  any  just 
view  of  the  guilt  and  danger  of  the  multitudes 
that  thronged  the  streets  of  that  city  ;  the  only 
man  that  had  any  just  view  of  God,    and  any 


DUtlES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  191 

knoAvledge  of  the  plan  of  redemption  ;  and 
the  only  hope  of  rousing  that  vast  population 
of  idolaters  rested  on  the  voice  of  this  solitary 
stranger,  a  man  unknown  and  without  influ- 
ence, or  if  known,  despised.  It  is  not  so  here. 
God  has  placed  here  more  than  twenty  thou- 
sand, all  of  whom,  according  to  their  profes- 
sions, should  have  the  same  feelings  as  Paul 
had  in  Athens.  They  profess  the  same  reli- 
gion ;  they  worship  the  same  God  ;  they  have, 
or  should  have,  the  same  views  of  the  guilt 
and  danger  of  man,  and  of  the  necessity  to  be 
prepared  to  meet  God.  They  are  each  one  in 
possession  of  the  same  knowledge  of  the  plan 
of  salvation,  and  of  the  same  hope  of  heaven  ; 
and  there  is  not  one  of  them,  old  or  young, 
who  is  not,  or  should  not  be  able  to  tell  his 
neighbor  the  way  by  which  he  might  be  made 
everlastingly  happy.  Every  parent  can  tell 
this  to  his  children  ;  and  every  Sabbath-school 
teacher  to  his  scholars  ;  and  every  man  to  his 
neighbor,  to  the  poor,  to  the  outcast,  and  to 
the  vile.  And  how  obvious  it  is,  that,  in  the 
possession  of  this  knowledge,  it  is  their  duty 
to  seek  that  the  whole  population  should  be 
pervaded  with  christian  influence,  or  that  there 
17* 


192  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

should  be  a  revival  of  relifrion  spreading 
throutrhout  this  entire  communitj' !  It  is  as 
if  the  pestilence  had  come  in  upon  the  whole 
population,  and  was  cutting  off  the  inhabitants 
at  a  fearful  rate  every  day,  and  God  has  en- 
trusted to  twenty  thousand  the  knowledge  of 
one  infallible  remedy  for  the  disease.  Who 
would  feel  himself  blameless  if  a  single  one 
should  die  by  his  neglecting  to  communicate 
a  knowledge  of  that  remedy  \ 

IV.  My  fourth  observation  is,  that  in  cities 
and  large  towns  christians  are  exposed  to  pe- 
culiar temptations  and  dangers. 

Temptations  to  unfaithfulness  exist  every 
where.  The  country  village  has  its  tempta- 
tions, and  the  city  has  its  own.  Which  are 
the  greatest,  it  is  not  needful  now  to  inquire. 
The  only  point  of  inquiry  before  us  here  is, 
what  dangers  beset  christians  in  cities  and 
large  towns'?  Especially  what  dangers  in  re- 
gard to  the  direct  efforts  for  the  promotion  of 
religion!  What  is  there  to  chill  and  para- 
lyze our  efforts  in  reference  to  the  cause  of 
revivals'? 

I  here  arc  many;  and  to  siiow  ;he  na>  ,.^  ..i 
all  these  temptations  and  dangers  fully,  would 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  193 

far  transcend  the  proper  limits  of  a  whole  dis- 
course, and  can  here  only  be  glanced  at.  They 
are  such  as  the  following: 

I.  The  danger  of  soon  being  discouraged 
by  the  magnitude  of  the  evils  around  us. 
They  are  so  numerous,  and  they  pertain  to  so 
many  subjects,  and  they  are  so  fortified  by 
prevalent  customs,  that  the  spirit  of  christians 
soon  sinks  and  faints  within  them.  To  rouse 
a  city — to  promote  a  reformation  there — to 
secure  a  general  revival  of  religion,  seems 
like  an  attempt  to  lade  out  the  ocean,  or  like 
an  efibrt  to  remove  quicksand  where  it  fills  in 
as  fast  as  you  remove  it. 

II.  We  become  familiar  with  the  evils,  and 
cease  to  feel  appalled  by  their  naagnitude.  A 
warm-hearted  christian  on  going  to  Paris  is 
shocked  and  pained  at  the  gayety  and  licen- 
tiousness there  ;  a  christian  from  the  country 
is  shocked  at  the  amount  of  sin  in  a  great  city, 
and  pained  at  the  condition  of  its  thoughtless 
thousands ;  a  young  convert,  just  from  his 
first  view  of  the  cross,  and  of  the  dying  Sav- 
iour,, and  with  -d  conceptions  of  the 
worth  of  the  suui,  u\  c^,.s  over  the  condition 
of  the   tens  of  thousands  around  him,  and 


194'  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

feels,  like  young  Mclancliton,  that  he  can  per- 
suade them  all  to  turn  to  God.  But  how  soon, 
as  a  general  rule,  does  your  stranger  chris- 
tian in  Paris,  and  he  that  comes  to  us  from 
the  country,  and  the  young  convert,  lose  all 
this  ardor!  these  thousands  we  see  walk  the 
streets  almost  forgetting  that  they  have  souls. 
The  young  and  the  accomplished  we  see 
crowd  the  abodes  of  fashion,  and  we  seem  to 
forget  that  for  them  Christ  died,  or  that  there 
can  be  for  such  gay  and  happy  throngs  any 
such  places  as  a  sick  bed  or  a  grave ;  the  rich 
we  see  roll  along  in  splendor,  and  cease  to 
feel  almost  that  there  is  a  God  before  whom 
they  must  appear,  and  a  hell  where  the  rich 
man  that  is  impenitent  will  lift  np  his  eyes  in 
torment ;  and  soon  Ave  sleep  as  calmly  in  our 
beds  as  though  all  this  multitude  were  on  the 
way  to  heaven. 

III.  We  are  appalled  by  the  fact  that  evils 
are  combined  and  confederated^  and  that  it 
seems  almost  hopeless  to  attempt  to  break 
them  up.  It  is  not  that  you  have  to  meet  an 
army  of  profane  men,  and  that  when  they  are 
reformed  the  field  is  clear,  and  the  victory 
gained.     It  is  not  that  you  must  meet  a  host 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  195 

of  Sabbath-breakers,  and  that  when  they  are 
restrained  the  victory  is  won.  It  is  not  that 
we  must  ferret  out  and  reform  some  thou- 
sands of  the  impure  and  hcentious,  and  that 
then  the  work  is  done.  It  is  not  tliat  you 
must  vanquish  an  army  of  atheists,  and  infi- 
dels and  scoffers,  and  that  when  you  have 
convinced  them  of  the  truth  of  Christianity 
the  task  is  completed.  Nor  is  it  that  you 
must  meet  with  fashion,  and  vanity,  and  the 
love  of  the  w'orld,  and  substitute  for  all  this 
the  love  of  God.     The  difficulty  is,  that  they 

ARE     ALL    IN    THE    FIELD    TOGETHER.       They    are 

parts  of  one  great  army — the  army  of  the  foe 
of  God;  they  are  imder  the  control  of  one 
master  mind — the  great  apostate  spirit — that 
marshals  them  for  his  war  against  virtue  and 
against  God ;  and  imless  all  are  driven  from 
the  field  the  victory  caimot  be  won;  and  see- 
ing this,  christians  soon  become  disheartened. 
Connected  with  this  is  the  fact  that  sins  are 
interlocked  and  confederated  together.  They 
never  appear  alone.  You  cannot  meet  one 
form  of  evil  by  itself,  and  destroy  it  as  if  it 
were  alone.  When,  for  example,  you  make 
war  on  intemperance,  it  is  not   on  intempe- 


If)()  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

ranee  alone.  It  is  a  war  at  the  same  tinne  on 
avarice  and  covetousness,  and  on  all  the  forms 
of  traffic  and  of  business  by  wlii'ch  it  is  sus- 
tained, and  on  all  the  customs  and  vices  that 
walk  in  the  train  of  intemperance.  You  make 
war  on  profaneness,  and  licentiousness,  and 
Sabbath-breaking,  and  the  theatre,  and  on  the 
love  of  money  in  some  of  its  worst  forms, 
more  than  half  of  all  which  evils  are  connect- 
ed with  indulgence  in  intoxicating  liquors. 
How  long  could  a  theatre  be  sustained  if  in- 
toxicating drinks  were  not  accessible  1  How 
few,  comparatively,  would  be  profane  if  they 
were  never  excited  by  intoxicating  drinks  1 
And  how  closely  connected  are  intemperance 
and  licentiousness  every  where  1  Attack  one 
form  of  sin  any  where,  and  you  attack  a  host 
of  affiliated  vices,  and  all  their  friends  are 
roused  to  oppose  you.  Cicero  long  since  re- 
marked that  there  was  a  '  common  bond ' 
among  the  virtues.  They  are  united — a  fam- 
ily of  sisters  —  always  strengthening  each 
other  —  always  found  in  each  other's  com- 
pany, and  always  diffiising  around  smiles  and 
joy.  They  arc  like  a  parterre  of  commingled 
flov>ers,  when  you  breathe  the  fragi-ance  emit- 


DUTIES  OF  CIIRISTIAXnS.  197 

ted  by  them  all.  And  so  there  is  a,  common 
bond  among  vices.  They  are  of  one  family, 
of  one  bad  parentage.  ¥/hen  you  meet  with 
one  you  may  be  sure  that  others  are  not  far 
off — not,  indeed,  a  family  harmonious  and 
happy,  like  the  virtues,  but  still  united  and  as- 
sociated. You  caanot  meet  one  without  rous- 
ing up  all  j  and  hence  the  difhculty  every 
where  of  putting  down  vice  and  promoting  a 
reformation,  and  hence  the  friends  of  virtue 
become  intimidated  and  appalled. 

IV.  A  fourth  danger  in  cities  is,  that  of  con- 
formity to  the  evil  customs  that  prevail  around 
us.  I  do  not  mean  that  christians,  whom  God 
has  set  in  cities  to  carry  forward  his  work 
and  to  save  souls,  fall  into  open  sinj  but  I 
refer  to  what  the  Bible  calls  '  conformity  to 
the  world.'  There  is  a  gi'eat  deal  of  piety  in 
the  world — in  the  main  connected  with  honest 
intentions — that  is  like  the  chameleon,  taking 
its  hue  from  surrounding  objects.  Or  I  may 
use,  perhaps,  a  better  illustration.  It  is  like  a 
precious  gem  set  in  foil.  The  jeweller  spreads 
beneath  it  a  colored  substance,  and  the  gem 
partakes  of  that  color.  It  sparkles  and  is 
beautiful.     It  has  an  original  beauty,  but  its 


198  nTTTIF.S  OF  cnRI.STI;\NS. 

peculiar  hue  is  borrowed  from  the  foreign 
substance  in  wliich  it  is  embedded.  Not  a 
little  of  the  religion  of  this  world  is  like  this 
gem.  It  is  genuine,  and  in  itself  beautiful 
and  valuable.  But  it  borrows  its  appearance 
from  the  things  around  it,  and  when  the  set- 
ting  happens  to  be  bad,  the  whole  brilliancy 
is  gone,  and  the  beauty  disappears.  In  a  high 
state  of  religious  feeling  in  a  church,  or  in  a 
time  of  revival,  that  religion  sparkles  like  the 
diamond.  When  the  christian  church  is  rous- 
ed to  seek  the  salvation  of  the  world — when  a 
pure  love  flows  from  heart  to  heart — when  all 
are  engaged  in  promoting  the  salvation  of  sin- 
ners, then  it  shines  brilliant  as  a  gem  of  the 
purest  water.  But  when  the  church  slumbers, 
and  its  zeal  languishes,  and  iniquity  abounds, 
then  it  is  a  precious  stone  badly  set,  and  the 
dark  foil  dims  all  its  lustre  and  mars  all  its 
beauty.  It  requires  a  high  order  of  religion 
not  to  be  conformed  to  the  world.  We  are 
with  the  people  of  this  world;  we  transact 
business  with  them;  we  converse  with  them; 
we  are  invited  to  partake  with  them  of  the 
pleasures  in  which  they  find  their  only  enjoy- 
ment; we    mingle   with   them    in   the  social 


DTJTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  199 

circle  ;  we  '  catch  the  manners  living  as  they 
rise,'  and  we  suffer  the  world  of  vanity  and 
fashion  to  give  us  laws  about  the  style  of 
living,  and  conversation,  and  dress,  and  amuse- 
ment. Piety  that  would  have  shone  with  the 
brilliancy  of  the  diamond  in  the  persecution 
of  Nero  or  of  Mary,  may  be  dull  and  dim 
while  the  world  caresses  or  flatters ;  and  zeal, 
that  Avould  beam  like  that  of  a  seraph  were 
the  whole  church  alive  to  God,  sinks  away 
into  a  flickering  and  almost  expiring  flame 
when  the  church  slumbers.  In  no  place  does 
the  world  have  such  influence  over  christians 
— or  rather,  perhaps,  I  ought  to  say,  in  no 
place  is  there  so  much  danger  of  the  influ- 
ence— as  in  cities.  I  such  places,  eminently, 
'  iniquity  abounds,  and  the  love  of  many  waxes 
cold.' 

V,  Connected  with  this  is  a  fifth  danger,  in 
regard  to  the  mass  of  christians.  It  is  seen 
in  a  disposition  to  palliate  sin,  or  to  apologize 
for  it,  or  to  speak  of  it  in  a  language  that  shall 
not  imply  reproof.  The  nomenclature  of  sins, 
like  that  of  chemistry,  is  often  changed  ;  and 
the  characteristics  of  an  age  can  often  be  de- 
termined by  the  appellations  given  to  vice. 
18 


200  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

An  age  of  great  refinement — the  golden  or 
tinsel  age  of  society — is  often  characterized 
by  great  fastidiousness  and  great  delicacy — in 
plainer  language,  great  prudishness.  Crimes 
change  names ;  faults  are  apologized  for  under 
names  that  border  on  virtue;  and  words  which 
suggest  the  idea  of  sin  or  wrongs  are  ex- 
changed for  names  that  suggest  any  thing  but 
the  thing  referred  to ;  and  so  the  gay  and  the 
christian  world  together  '  wrap  it  up.'  When 
iniquity  abounds ;  when  it  goes  up  into  places 
of  affluence  and  rank,  the  world  demands  the 
language  of  gentleness  and  apology.  '  Pro- 
phesy unto  "US  smooth  things'  becomes  the 
common  wish :  and  the  kind  of  reproof,  and 
fidelity  in  preaching,  where  things  are  called 
by  their  right  names,  and  where  the  iniquity 
of  the  heart  is  laid  open,  and  men  are  warned 
with  appropriate  earnestness  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  is  set  down  as  fanaticism  and 
extravagance.  How  difficult  it  is  to  reach 
some  far-pervading  sins  in  the  community, 
sins  that  endanger  the  salvation  of  thousands 
in  all  our  cities,  and  how  difficult  to  rouse 
christians  to  a  sense  of  their  existence,  or  the 
dangers  thatattend  their  indulgence! 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  201 

I  had  hoped  to  have  had  time  to  speak  of 
other  dangers  of  the  members  of  the  churches 
in  regard  to  the  promotion  of  religion  in  pur 
cities,  arising  from  the  love  of  gain ;  from  the 
temptations  to  neglect  secret  prayer ;  from 
the  tendencies  to  neglect  the  careful  study  of 
the  Bible ;  from  the  fact  that  the  impressions 
made  by  preaching  are  so  soon  obliterated 
from  the  mind  by  business  and  the  influence 
of  the  world ;  and  I  would  have  spoken  also 
of  the  difficulties  of  promoting  religion,  from 
the  organized  resistances,  and  from  the  want 
of  the  kind  of  social  influences  that  prevail  in 
country  neighborhoods  and  villages.  But  I 
have  already  trenched  much  on  the  time  that 
should  have  been  allotted  to  what  was  design- 
ed to  be  the  leading  purpose  of  this  discourse. 
That  remains  to  be  considered ;  and  a  few 
brief  hints  must  now  be  all. 

It  is,  the  duties  of  christian  in  cities  in 
regard  to  the  promotion  of  revivals  of  reli- 
gion.    They  are  such  as  the  following  : 

I.  To  form  and  cherish  just  views  about 
the  possibility,  the  desirableness,  and  the  im- 
portance of  revivals  of  religion  here.  It  is 
oiot  too  much  to  suppose  that  large  numbers 


202  DUTIKS  OV  CHRISTUN'S. 

of  professing  christians  in  the  diflereat 
churches  have  no  definite  views  on  these 
points.  They  have  never  made  them  a  mat- 
ter of  distinct  thought  or  inquiry.  They 
have  never  gone  to  the  New  Testament  to 
find  out  what  was  done  in  the  time  of  the  Sa- 
viour and  the  apostles^  and  wliat  was  said 
about  the  possibility  and  the  vaUie  of  such 
works  of  grace.  Perhaps  many  have  obtained 
all  the  views  which  they  have  ever  had  of 
such  works  of  grace  from,  the  observation  of 
foreign  tourists,  or  from  the  tone  of  the 
worldly  society  around  them.  And  it  is  to 
be  feared  that  not  a  few  professing  christians 
in  all  churches  in  cities  regard,  at  heart,  revi- 
vals of  religion  as  of  doubtful  value,  or  as 
scenes  of  wild-fire  and  fanaticism.  Is  it  un- 
charitable to  ask  how  many  christians  there 
are  in  any  of  our  churches  that  would  stand 
up  amidst  the  rich  and  the  gay,  in  the  bril- 
liant circles  where  they  are  sometimes  found, 
as  the  firm  advocates  of  revivals  of  religion 
if  they  were  attacked  ?  Are  there  not  many 
that  would  concede  all  that  the  sceptical  or 
the  scoffiing  opponent  Avould  desire  to  have 
conceded]    Now  it  is  much,  it  is  every  thing, 


DtTTIES    OF    CHRISTIANS.  203 

when  christians  intelligently,  and  on  settled 
grounds,  believe  in  the  value  and  existence  of 
revivals  of  religion  ;  when  they  have  so  ex- 
amined the  subject,  so  read  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  so  made  it  a  matter  of  prayer,  as 
to  see  that,  in  the  estimation  of  the  Redeemer, 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  the  world, 
in  powerful  revivals  of  religion,  was  to  be  the 
triumph  of  his  work,  and  a  blessing  worth  the 
self-denials  and  toils  of  this  life,  and  his  un-a 
speakable  agonies  on  the  cross.  Such  a  feel* 
ing  in  the  churches  is  usually  a  precurser 
of  such  a  work  of  grace  5  and  we  cannot 
hope  for  such  descending  influences  on  our 
cities  until  christians  shall  think  as  the  Sa- 
viour thought,  and  feel  as  the  Saviour  felt. 
This  is  the  great  thing  now  needed  among 
christians;  and  that  day  which  shall  convince 
all,  or  the  great  body  of  professing  christians 
in  cities,  of  the  reality  and  desirableness  of 
revivals  of  religion,  will  constitue  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  religion,  and  will  precede  the 
manifestations  of  the  power  of  God  like  that 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

2.  For  the  promotion  of  religion   in  places 


204  DUTIES    OF    CIIIUSTIA.NS. 

like  this,  christians  should  be  firm  and  settled 
in  the  principles  of  religion.  There  should 
be  no  yielding  of  principle,  no  improper  com- 
pliance, with  the  customs  around  us.  Our 
views  of  religion  should  be  drawn  from  the 
Bible,  and  not  from  the  books  which  uninspir- 
ed men  have  written,  or  from  the  views  which 
the  gay  and  fashionable,  the  rich  and  vain, 
and  even  the  literary  and  scientific  world  may 
entertain  of  religion  and  its  duties.  Litera- 
uire  and  science,  poetry  and  the  arts,  are  to 
be  allowed  no  more  to  give  us  our  views  of 
religion  than  gayety  and  fashion.  From  the 
Holy  Bible — the  unerring  word  of  the  living 
God — christians  are  to  derive  their  views  of 
the  nature  of  religion.  There  we  are  to  go  to 
learn  what  the  soul  is  worth  ;  what  it  cost  to 
redeem  it ;  what  is  its  condition  as  it  comes 
into  the  world ;  what  is  the  state  of  man  by 
nature  ;  what  dangers  beset  him  ;  why  man  is 
placed  on  the  earth,  and  for  what  objects 
christians  are  to  live.  Fresh  with  the  views 
drawn  from  the  living  fountains  of  tiiith,  what 
estimate  should  we 'form  of  tlie  multitudes 
around  us  ? — what  but  that  they  are  lost,  ruined, 
dying,  and  that  everj-  thing  should  be  done  that 


DUTIES    OF    CHRISTIANS.  205 

can  be  done  for  their  salvation  1  And  when 
we  have  drunk  deep  at  that  living  fountain^ 
what  views  should-  we  derive  of  the  duty  of 
christians  here  ]  That  they  should  be  every 
where  the  firm  and  unwavering  friends  of 
God ;  the  advocates  of  truth  and  holiness ; 
the  rebukers  of  sin  by  their  lips  and  by  their 
lives ;  and  the  laborers  in  the  vineyard  of 
their  Lord  to  save  souls  from  death.  On  all 
the  questions  that  divide  the  religious  from  the 
irreligious  world,  the  christian  should  have 
settled  views,  and  should  abide  by  them,  come 
contempt,  or  cursing,  or  flame.  There  sliould- 
be  no  vacillating ;  no  Avavering ;  no  taking 
sides  with  the  foes  of  the  Redeemer ;  no 
yielding  a  point  which  the  Redeemer  would 
not  yield.  In  the  great  questions  pertaining 
to  the  new  birth  and  the  atonement  ;  to  revi- 
vals of  religion  and  to  missions  j  to  temper- 
ance, chastity,  and  the  Sabbath  ;  to  the  spread 
of  the  Bible  and  to  Sabbath-schools;  in  regard 
to  the  theatre,  the  ^all-room,  and  the  splendid 
gayety  and  folly,  there  ought  to  be  singleness 
and  uniformity  of  opinion  and  conduct  among 
the  friends  of  the  Redeemer.  It  ought  to  be 
known  where  each   friend  of  Christ  could  be 


206  DUTIES    OF    CHRISTIANS. 

found.  There  ought  to  be  tlic  same  views 
and  feelings  which  the  Redeemer  would  have  ; 
the  same  course  of  life  which  he  would  ad- 
vise and  recommend.  Is  it  so  1  So  far  from 
it,  that  you  can  hardly  go  into  a  promiscuous 
assemblage  of  professed  christians  without 
finding  on  many  of  the  most  important  of 
these  points  as  many  different  views  as  there 
are  different  minds ;  and  so  far  from  it  that 
you  cannot  calculate  on  the  efficient  and  bar-* 
monious  co-operation  of  any  considerable 
portion  of  such  a  group  to  put  down  any  one 
of  these  evils.  So  it  ought  not  to  be  ;  so  it 
was  not  in  the  days  of  apostolic  decision  and 
independence  in  religion. 

III.  It  is  the  duty  of  christians  to  provide 
means  for  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
masses  of  mind  that  are  thrown  together  in 
cities,  the  means  of  bringing  all  under  chris- 
tian influence.  Just  now,  not  very  far  from 
one  half  of  tbe  population  in  all  our  cities 
would  be  excluded  from  places  of  Avorship, 
should  they  be  disposed  to  attend,  for  the  ab- 
BoJutc  want  of  room.  Now  it  is  in  the  power 
of  the  various  denominations  of  christians  in 
this  city,  and  in  other  cities,  to  provide  ample 


I>UTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  207 

accommodations  for  all  the  population  that 
could  attend  on  public  worship.  It  is  in  their 
power  to  get  all  the  wandering  and  neglected 
children  into  Sabbath-schools.  It  is  in  their 
power  to  place  a  Bible  in  every  family.  It  is 
in  their  power  to  keep  up  prayer-meetings, 
and  other  religious  services,  in  every  lane  and 
alley  where  it  would  be  desirable.  It  is  in  the 
power  of  christians,  aided  by  what  they  might 
depend  on  in  other  classes  of  the  community 
favorable  to  morals,  to  close  the  thousands  of 
dram-shops  and  low  taverns  that  infest  us. 
What  can  be  done  should  be  done  ;  and  I  am 
saying  only  that  which  all  men  will  admit  to 
be  well-founded,  when  I  say  that  all  these 
things  should  be  done  in  this  city,  and  when 
done  we  might  look  for  a  general  revival  of 
religion. 

IV.  It  is  the  duty  of  christians  in  a  city,  as 
every  where,  but  principally  here,  to  bring  the 
influence  of  religion  to  bear  on  the  members 
of  their  families.  We  look  abroad,  but  let  us 
also  look  at  home.  If  we  wish  a  revival  of  re- 
ligion, it  must  be  sought  in  our  own  hearts  j 
m  our  own  dwellings.  Whatever  there  is  in 
our  hearts  that  grieves  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God 


208  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

should  be  removed,  and  what  there  is  we  may 
easily  know.  If  we  have  forgotten  our  first 
love  ;  if  we  have  laid  aside  the  simplicity  of 
our  confidence  in  the  Lord  Jesus  ;  if  we  have 
neglected  prayer;  if  our  secret  devotions  are 
cold,  formal,  heartless,  often  intermitted ;  if 
we  are  seeking  the  world,  its  wealth,  its  plea- 
sures, its  honors  5  if  we  have  become  rich,  and 
at  the  same  time  proud  and  self-confident ;  if 
avarice  has  grown  as  covetousness  has  been 
gratified  ;  and  if  for  our  families  we  are  seek- 
ing the  world  rather  than  heaven,  it  is  time 
for  us  to  pause,  and  to  retrace  our  steps,  and 
with  penitent  hearts  to  begin  life  anew. — 
These  things  hinder  religion ;  these  things 
prevent  revivals.  And  Avhatever  there  is  in 
our  families  that  grieves  the  Spirit  of  God 
should  be  laid  aside.  The  God  that  sees  all 
knows  what  that  may  be.  If  family  devotion 
is  cold  and  formal,  or  is  not  maintained  at  all ; 
if  the  love  of  dress,  and  vanity,  and  parties  of 
pleasure,  and  the  gayeties  of  the  world  have 
seized  upon  the  minds  of  our  children,  and  if 
we  feel  that  they  must  be  indulged ;  these,  then, 
are  things  that  prevent  religion :  these  the 
things  that  shut  the  heavenly  influences  from 


DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS.  209- 

our  dwellings  and  from  the  city  of  our  habita- 
tion. 

V.  There  should  be  prayer  for  a  revival  of 
religion  ;  prayer  distinctly  and  definitely  for 
that.  O  could  twenty  thousand  christians  in 
this  city  unite  in  that  one  supplication,  '  O 
LoED  REVIVE  THY  WORK,'  Avould  not  the  ear  of 
God  be  open  to  their  cry  %  When  shall  this 
be  1  When  shall  the  time  come  that  we  can 
feel  that  such  a  prayer  ascends  to  God  from 
the  hearts  of  the  thousands  of  his  professed 
friends  in  a  city  like  this  1  This,  brethren,  is 
what  we  need  ;  the  spirit  of  that  ancient  man 
that  wrestled  till  the  break  of  day,  saying,  'I 
cannot  let  thee  go  except  thou  bless  me  ;'  the 
spirit  of  that  prophet  of  the  Lord,  who  in  the 
name  of  the  church  said,  'For  Zion's  sake 
will  I  not  hold  my  peace,  and  for  Jerusalem's 
sake  will  I  not  rest,  until  the  righteousness 
thereof  go  forth  as  brightness,  and  the  salva- 
tion thereof  as  a  lamp  that  burneth.' — Isaiah, 
Ixii:   1. 

Christians,  God  has  placed  you  in  this  city 
to  do  good ;  to  show  the  power  of  his  Gospel  5 
to  promote  religion.  What  are  the  prospects 
of  the  immortal  souls  around  you  1  Where 
will  they  soon  be  1     Soon   they  and  you  will 


'ilO  DUTIES  OF  CHRISTIANS. 

be  together  at  the  bar  of  God.  You  will  meet 
when  the  gaycties  of  life  shall  have  died  away; 
when  fashion  and  wealth  shall  have  lost  their 
glitter  ;  when  the  eternal  doom  of  the  soul  is 
to  be  pronounced,  and  when  your  chief  joy 
then  will  be  found  in  the  reflection  that  you 
have  done  as  much  as  possible  for  their  sal- 
vation. 

If  religion  is  to  be  revived,  it  is  to  begin  at 
the  house  of  God.  There  are  the  hopes  of 
man  in  regard  to  his  immortal  welfare.  There 
is  not  a  vice  in  this  city  that  might  not  be 
crippled  or  destroyed  if  every  christian  had 
the  burning  zeal  of  Paul.  Christians  should 
drink  anew  of  the  fountain  of  the  waters  of 
life.  Time  Avas,  in  the  days  of  the  martyrs, 
when  a  female,  trained  in  the  refinements  of 
the  Roman  capital,  would  not  throw  a  grain  of 
incense  on  a  pagan  altar  to  save  her  body  from 
the  flames.  O  come  those  times  again  ;  times 
when  all  who  bear  the  christian  name  shall, 
with  such  firmness,  resist  all  the  forms  of  sin. 
Come  those  times  when  every  christian,  dead 
to  the  world  but  alive  unto  God,  shall  resist 
sin,  if  need  be,  'even  unto  blood,'  and  when 
he  shall  labor  and  pray  unceasingly  for  a  re- 
vival OF  PURE  religion  ! 


AA    001  268  598   8 


